UC-NRLF 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Deceived        C/L&CT'  ,i8g^T 

Accessions  ^o.^D 2^7.  Class  No. 


AMERICAN  DAIRYING 


A   PRACTICAL   TREATISE  ON 


Dairy  Farming  and  the  Management 
of  Creameries. 


BY 

H.  B.  GURLER, 

DE  KALB,  ILL. 


CHICAGO : 
BREEDER'S  GAZETTE  PRINT. 


Copy  right,  1894, 


BY  THE  J.  H.  SANDERS  PUB.  CO. 
(All  rights  reserved.) 


1117BESIT7 


PREFACE. 


This  book  is  dedicated  to  those  interested  in 
the  dairy  and  creamery  business  in  America. 

The  work  is  undertaken  at  the  urgent  re- 
quest of  men  with  whom  I  have  worked  in 
this  great  field.  I  shall  undertake  to  weave 
into  its  pages  all  my  experience  that  I  think 
will  be  of  value  to  the  readers  of  my  book. 
My  mistakes  will  be  put  to  the  front  when  I 
think  they  will  be  of  value  in  preventing  some 
brother  dairyman  or  creamery  man  from  mak- 
ing similar  mistakes. 

I  expect  to  use  much  information  secured 
from  the  work  of  our  experiment  stations  and 
other  reliable  sources.  A.  H.  Barber,  Chicago; 
the  Cornish,  Curtis  &  Greene  Co.,  Fort  Atkin- 
son, Wis.;  the  Creamery  Package  Co.,  Chicago; 
the  Vermont  Farm  Machine  Co.,  Bellows  Falls, 
Vt.;  P.  M.  Sharpless,  Elgin,  111.,  and  Mr.  Decker, 
Fond  du  Lac;  Wis.,  have  offered  to  loan  me 
cuts  to  illustrate  the  work.  Mr.  E.  H.  Far- 
rington,  the  World's  Fair  Chemist,  has  prom- 

(3) 


4  PREFACE. 

ised  to  write  for  the  book  about  the  Babcock 
test. 

If  I  can  give  my  brother  workers  some  ideas 
that  will  enable  them  to  do  better  work,  and 
can  induce  a  small  percentage  of  the  dairymen 
to  apply  the  scale  and  Babcock  test  to  their 
individual  cows  and  dispose  of  the  unprofitable 
ones,  I  shaH  feel  that  I  have  accomplished 
some  good,  y  °  v^  J(  u  -rvH-  ^  ^  V  J 


Hi    B.    GlJRLER. 

De  Kalb,  III 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PART  I.— PRIVATE  DAIRYING. 

CHAPTER  I.— The  Dairy  Herd,   Selection,   Breed   and 

Breeding 9 

CHAPTER  II. — Feed  and  Management 30 

CHAPTER  III.— Care  of  Dairy  Utensils 62 

CHAPTER  IV. — Milking 65 

CHAPTER  V.— Milk  from  Cow  to  Cream  Vat 81 

CHAPTER  VI. — Ripening  and  Churning.    ...     .     .     .    94 

CHAPTER  VII. — Salting,  Working,  Packing  and  Print- 
ing  103 

CHAPTER  VIII.— Marketing  Dairy  Butter.    .....  110 

CHAPTER  IX.— Skim-milk.  .  116 


PART  II.— CREAMERY  MANAGEMENT. 

CHAPTER  I. — Care  of  Milk  by  Patrons 147 

CHAPTER  II.— Receiving  Milk  at  Creamery 154 

CHAPTER  III.— The  Babcock  Milk  Test  (by  E.  H.  Far- 

rington) 160 

CHAPTER  IV.— Tempering  and    Separating 169 

CHAPTER  V. — Ripening  and  Churning  Cream.     .     .     .  182 
CHAPTER  VI.— Salting,  Working,   Packing  and   Mar- 
keting  204 

CHAPTER  VII.— Care  of  Skim-milk  at  the  Creamery.  .  214 
CHAPTER  VIII.— Care  of  Buildings  and  Utensils.  .  .  217 
CHAPTER  IX. — Suggestions  to  Those  About  to  Build  a 

Creamery 226 

CHAPTER  X.— Gathered-Cream  Work 238 

CHAPTER  XI.— A  Talk  With  Creamery  Employe's.    .    .  249 

APPENDIX.— An  Acid  Test  of  Cream 257 

(5) 


PART  I -PRIVATE  DAIRYING. 


TJFI7BRSIT7 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  DAIRY  HERD;  SELECTION,  BREED 
AND  BREEDING. 

Here  is  the  foundation  of  the  whole  dairy 
business.  Success  depends  more  on  the  herd 
than  on  any  other  one  point.  Much,  of  course, 
depends  on  the  feed  and  care,  but  the  best  of 
feed  and  care  will  not  make  a  cow  that  has  a 
capacity  for  only  125  Ibs.  of  butter  annually  a 
profitable  cow. 

Average  cow  in  the  United  States.— When 
we  think  that  the  average  of  the  16,500,000 
cows  in  the  United  States  is  only  130  Ibs.  of 
butter  annually,  according  to  the  last  census,  is 
it  not  time  to  be  thinking  how  to  improve  in 
this  work?  There  is  no  doubt  as  to  there  being 
room  to  improve,  as  there  are  herds  in  the 
United  States  that  average  400  Ibs.  and  above 
per  cow  annually,  and  herds  in  nearly  every 
community  in  the  dairy  sections  that  average 
300  Ibs.  of  butter  per  cow  annually. 

Object  lessons. — These  300  to  400-lb.  dairies 
should  be  object  lessons  to  all  dairymen.  What 
one  dairyman  or  dairywoman  has  done  another 


10  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

can  do,  and  probably  a  little  better  can  be  done. 
It  is  certainly  well  for  us  to  try  to  excel  in 
whatever  line  we  are  working.  I  shall  not  ad- 
vise all  dairymen  to  sell  their  present  herds  and 
buy  registered  cows  of  some  of  the  dairy  breeds. 
This  is  all  right  for  those  who  can  see  their  way 
clear  to  do  so.  I  believe  it  is  wise  to  breed 
registered  animals  when  a  person  is  so  situated 
that  he  can. 

How  to  improve  the  herd.  —  What  every 
dairyman  can  do  to  improve  his  herd  is  to  test 
individual  cows  and  dispose  of  such  as  do  not 
come  up  to  a  profitable  standard.  This  stand- 
ard will  vary  in  different  localities,  depending 
on  the  cost  of  feed  and  labor  and  on  the  value 
of  the  products. 

Cost  of  feeding  cows.— We  should  not  take 
any  other  person's  figures  or  estimates  for  this, 
but  should  know  from  our  own  work  what  it 
costs  to  feed  a  cow  one  year.  To  the  cost  of 
feed  add  labor  and  the  interest  on  the  invest- 
ment in  the  cow.  We  will  suppose  it  costs  $35 
to  feed  the  cow  a  year  and  $12.50  for  labor  to 
care  for  her  and  $2.50  to  pay  interest.  We  now 
have  $50  charged  up  against  the  cow.  Now, 
what  shall  we  find  to  put  on  the  other  side  of 
the  account?  It  is  very  plain  to  be  seen  that 
the  130-lb.  cow  is  not  in  this  race,  as  her  butter 
will  have  to  sell  for  33  cents  per  pound  to  leave 
a  profit. 


THE    DAIRY    HERD.  11 

Value  of  skim-milk. — We  will  allow  $10  per 
cow  for  the  skim-milk  and  we  have  a  balance 
of  $40  to  be  paid  for  by  the  butter  before  we 
have  any  profit.  We  will  suppose  as  much 
butter  is  made  in  winter  as  summer,  in  which 
case  the  average  price  after  paying  for  making 
at  the  creamery  will  be  about  21  cents  per 
pound.  Now  it  will  require  190  Ibs.  of  butter 
at  21  cents  per  pound  to  balance  the  $40  and 
leave  us  whole.  In  this  case  the  cow  that 
makes  190  Ibs.  of  butter  per  year  does  not  make 
us  any  profit.  In  my  experience  I  find  no  profit 
in  a  200-lb.  cow.  I  might  have  100  of  them  on 
my  farm  and  not  make  $250  per  year  on  the 
whole  lot  of  them. 

Man,  horse  and  cow. — Now  please  tell  what 
is  the  sense  in  keeping  such  cows?  We  would 
not  keep  a  horse  that  could  only  do  work  enough 
to  pay  for  feed,  neither  would  we  keep  a  man 
who  could  only  do  enough  to  pay  for  his  board. 
But  yet  most  of  us  keep  a  dairy  of  cows  one- 
fourth  of  which  actually  run  us  in  debt.  There 
is  no  excuse  for  this  at  this  period  of  the  dairy 
work.  Before  the  introduction  of  the  Babcock 
test  there  was  some  excuse  for  a  dairyman  not 
knowing  what  each  individual  cow  was  doing 
for  him,  though  even  then  there  was  not  suffi- 
cient excuse  for  this  condition,  as  the  cows 
could  be  tested  by  the  churn.  That  required  a 
great  amount  of  work,  but  r 


12  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

Cream  test. — The  first  test  I  applied  to  my 
cows  was  the  test  for  cream,  and  this  was 
twenty-five  years  ago.  At  that  time  it  was 
generally  supposed  that  the  percentage  or  depth 
of  cream  that  raised  on  samples  of  milk  set  in 
glass  test  tubes  or  dishes  of  uniform  size  and 
depth  was  a  correct  basis  on  which  to  judge  of 
the  butter  value  of  the  different  cows'  milk.  I 
soon  learned,  as  have  hundreds  of  others  in  this 
line  of  work,  that  this  test  was  not  reliable,  as 
I  found  that  there  was  in  some  instances  a  dif- 
ference of  25  per  cent  in  the  batter  value  of 
milk  that  showed  the  same  percentage  of  cream 
in  the  glass  tubes. 

The  Connecticut  Experiment  Station  found 
cream  furnished  by  different  patrons  of  a  cream- 
ery who  set  their  milk  in  deep  or  submerged 
cans  for  twelve  to  twenty-four  hours  to  contain 
from  13.8  to  24.9  per  cent  of  fat.  I  proved  the 
cream  test  to  be  unreliable  by  applying  the 
cream  test  and  the  churn  test  to  the  same  milk. 
The  results  of  these  comparisons  caused  me  to 
abandon  the  cream  test  and  start  anew  with 
the  churn. 

Churn  test. — This  plan  cost  me  much  time 
and  labor,  each  cow's  milk  being  set  separately 
and  skimmed  and  churned  separately.  For  this 
work  I  had  a  gang  of  six  small  churns  of  the 
dasher  pattern,  with  the  dashers  attached  to  a 


THE    DAIRY    HERD.  13 

horizontal  bar,  so  I  could  operate  the  six  at  one 
time.  This  work  paid  me  in  several  ways.  It 
paid  me  to  know  my  individual  cows,  so  I  could 
dispose  of  the  unprofitable  ones.  It  caused  me 
to  think  better  of  my  business  and  of  myself. 
It  opened  a  great  field  for  improvement  in  the 
line  of  selection  and  breeding — a  field  large 
enough  to  give  room  for  the  most  ambitious 
and  progressive  person. 

Percentages  of  cream  and  fat. — The  follow- 
ing table  shows  the  percentage  of  cream  in 
fourteen  different  patrons'  milk;  also  the  per- 
centage of  fat  found  in  the  same  milk  by  the 
Babcock  test: 

TABLE  I. — MILK  FROM  DIFFERENT  DAIRIES. 


Per  cent  Per  cent 

Cream.  Fat. 

17 3.60 

16 3.85 

15 3.40 

8 3.00 

15 3.00 

16 3.80 

14..  ..3.50 


Per  cent  Per  cent 

Cream.  Fat. 

17 4.30 

17 3.85 

8 3.80 

10 3.60 

10 3.50 

10 ." 4.05 

10..  ..3.70 


And  the  second  and  third  tables  show  the 
different  cows  in  two  dairies,  the  first  column 
being  the  percentage  of  cream  and  the  second 
column  the  percentage  of  fat  by  the  Babcock 
test.  A  study  of  these  two  tables  will  show 
the  unreliability  of  the  cream  test  in  judging 
the  butter  value  of  milk: 


14 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


TABLE  II.  —  MILK  FROM  FIRST  DAIRY. 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Cream. 

Fat. 

Cream. 

Fat. 

13        

350 

17 

4  00 

15     

360 

17  

3  90 

17  

3.90 

13       .   ... 

3  30 

16..     .     . 

3.60 

17           .   . 

3  80 

13  

3.10 

20           .   . 

4  00 

14  

4:00 

17  

3  70 

17  .. 

..3.70 

19.. 

.  .4.50 

TABLE  III. — MILK  FROM  SECOND  DAIRY 


Per  cent 
Cream. 
19     .     ... 

Per  cent 
Fat. 
4  00 

Per  cent 
Cream. 
21 

Per  cent 
Fat. 
.  3.50 

19       .   .   . 

4  00 

23    

3.30 

18 

.  .     .     5.40 

18    

3.30 

18    ... 

4.00 

19    ...    . 

3.50 

15.. 

..3.60 

14.. 

..3.40 

Unimproved  opportunities.  —  Why  more 
dairymen  do  not  improve  this  opportunity  to 
help  themselves  I  am  at  a  loss  to  understand. 
No  manufacturer  could  withstand  the  compe- 
tition he  has  to  contend  with  if  he  left  unim- 
proved opportunities  like  many  dairymen  are 
leaving  in  not  testing  and  knowing  what  their 
individual  cows  are  doing  for  them.  With  the 
Babcock  test  it  is  a  very  simple  matter  to  tell 
what  each  cow  is  doing  at  any  time,  and  there 
is  now  no  excuse  for  a  dairyman's  not  know- 
ing just  where  each  individual  cow  stands. 

In  the  estimate  we  have  made  we  find  that 
it  requires  190  Ibs.  of  butter  and  the  skim-milk 
to  pay  for  feed,  labor  and  interest.  This  being 
a  fact  we  must  have  cows  that  will  make  at 


THE    DAIRY    HERD.  15 

least  200  Ibs.  annually.    Now  let  us  test  each 
cow  and  learn  what  she  is  doing. 

Testing  the  cows. — There  are  many  ways  of 
applying  the  test.  So  far  as  frequency  of  ap- 
plying it  is  concerned  if  a  person  wishes  to 
know  exactly  what  a  cow  is  doing  the  milk 
must  all  be  weighed  and  a  sample  taken  from 
every  milking  and  tested.  The  composite  test 
(which  will  be  referred  to  elsewhere)  can  be 
used  for  this  work.  A  reasonably  reliable  test 
can  be  secured  by  testing  one  day  in  each  month; 
a  more  reliable  one  by  testing  twice  per  month. 
For  the  past  year's  work  I  have  adopted  the 
plan  of  making  three  tests  with  four  months 
between  each  test,  each  test  to  cover  three 
days'  time,  a  record  of  each  milking  to  be  kept, 
and  a  sample  of  milk  from  each  milking  to  be 
put  in  a  bottle  that  is  to  be  marked  with  the 
name  or  number  of  the  cow  the  milk  is  from. 
For  taking  the  samples  have  your  tinsmith 
make  you  a  little  cup  one  inch  in  diameter 
and  two  and  a  half  inches  deep.  This  will  hold 
about  one  ounce  and  is  sufficient.  When  a  cow 
is  milked  first  weigh  and  record  the  weight  of 
the  milk,  then  pour  it  from  one  pail  to  another 
back  and  forth  three  times,  then  take  the  little 
ounce  cup  full  and  put  it  into  the  sample  bot- 
tle or  jar.  A  pint  fruit  jar  can  be  used  for  this 
purpose,  or  an  eight-ounce  bottle  can  be  used 
by  having  a  small  funnel  to  fill  with. 


IB  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Care  of  samples. — If  this  test  is  being  made 
in  warm  weather  care  should  be  used  to  pre- 
serve the  samples  sweet  for  three  days.  This 
can  be  done  by  setting  them  on  the  floor  of  a 
cool  cellar  or  by  the  use  of  bichromate  of  pot- 
ash, which  can  be  bought  at  the  drugstore  in  a 
pulverized  form  and  put  into  each  jar  or  bottle 
in  quantities  the  size  of  a  pea.  This  will  pre- 
vent souring  and  keep  the  cream  in  a  liquid 
condition  so  that  it  will  mix  with  the  milk 
with  but  little  agitation.  At  the  end  of  the 
three  days  the  samples  should  be  tested. 

How  to  get  testing  done.— If  you  are  a 
patron  of  a  creamery  that  has  a  Babcock  tester 
get  your  creamery  man  to  make  the  test  for 
you.  He  will  not  ask  you  much  for  it  and 
possibly  will  do  it  for  nothing.  When  the  test 
is  worked  and  you  have  the  weight  of  the  milk 
it  is  an  easy  matter  to  get  at  the  butter  the  cow 
is  making  daily. 

Estimating  butter  from  test. — We  will 
suppose  that  she  gave  70  Ibs.  of  milk  in  the 
three  days  and  it  tested  3.8  per  cent  of  fat. 
This  would  give  2.66  Ibs,  of  fat,  to  which  we 
will  add  12  J  per  cent,  or  one-eighth,  to  get  the 
amount  of  butter  this  fat  will  make.  We  do 
this  because  butter  is  not  pure  fat  and  we  find 
in  actual  work  that  we  can  make  one-eighth 
more  butter  from  100  Ibs.  of  milk  than  the  test 
shows  of  fat,  though  to  secure  this  increase  it 


THE    DAIRY   HERD.  17 

is  necessary  to  do  efficient  work  both  in  the 
creaming  and  churning. 

The  average  work  done  by  the  gravity  system 
of  cream  raising  would  not  warrant  us  in 
adding  one-eighth  to  the  fat  found  by  the  test 
to  secure  the  probable  butter,  but  with  the 
separator  this  increase  of  butter  over  fat  should 
be  obtained,  and  if  it  is  not  the  cause  should 
be  looked  for  and  removed.  By  adding  one- 
eighth  to  the  2.66  Ibs.  of  butter-fat  we  get  2.99 
Ibs.  of  butter  in  the  three  days,  or  practically 
one  pound  per  day. 

Simplest  way  to  test. — A  simpler  form  may 
be  used.  It  will  not  give  as  accurate  results  as 
the  three  tests,  but  is  very  much  better  than 
no  test. 

I  have  learned  by  following  my  individual 
cow  tests  that  my  cows  averaged  for  8.4  months 
the  same  as  the  average  of  the  first  six  months. 
In  other  words,  if  a  cow  averaged  30  Ibs.  per 
month  for  the  first  six  months  she  would  make 
8.4  times  that  for  the  year's  work  and  drop  her 
calf  at  the  same  time  as  the  previous  year. 
She  should  give  enough  milk  after  the  8.4 
months  to  make  the  2.4  months  average  with 
the  first  six  months.  I  have  proved  this  work 
in  my  dairy.  This  does  not  prove  that  it  would 
be  a  reliable  rule  in  all  cases. 

When  a  cow  is  judged  on  a  single  test  it 
should  cover  one  week,  the  milk  being  weighed 


18  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

at  each  milking  and  a  sample  added  to  the 
composite  jar  from  each  milking.  This  test 
should  be  made  at  about  the  end  of  three 
months,  as  that  will  give  an  average  of  the 
first  six  months.  When  a  cow  is  to  be  judged 
on  a  single  test  there  is  need  of  some  thought 
and  good  judgment — more  than  when  she  is 
judged  on  three  tests  at  intervals  or  on  monthly 
tests.  We  will  suppose  a  cow  is  fresh  Jan.  1 
and  is  tested  April  1.  This  will  give  a  fair 
basis  on  which  to  judge  her  if  she  has  had  uni- 
form feed  and  care.  But  if  she  is  fresh  March 
1  and  tested  June  1  we  shall  secure  too  high  a 
basis  on  which  to  judge  her  as  she  will  be 
judged  at  her  highest  point  of  production,  for 
she  will  produce  more  milk  and  butter  June  1 
on  pasture  than  she  would  May  1  on  dry  feed; 
in  fact  more  than  she  would  at  any  previous 
or  subsequent  time, 

We  will  suppose  a  cow  gives  154  Ibs.  of  milk 
in  seven  days  and  it  tests  4.3  per  cent  of  fat. 
This  will  make  6.612  Ibs.  of  butter-fat  in  the 
seven  days.  To  this  we  will  add  one-eighth  for 
increase  of  butter  over  fat  and  we  have  7.72  Ibs. 
of  butter  in  seven  days,  or  1.1  Ibs.  per  day.  This 
we  will  multiply  by  252,  the  number  of  days  in 
8.4  months,  and  we  have  277  Ibs.  of  butter  for 
the  cow's  yearly  work. 

A  better  way. — I  would  recommend  this  plan 
of  testing  only  to  those  who  will  not  take  the 


THE    DAIRY   HERD.  19 

necessary  time  to  make  a  more  reliable  test.  I 
know  how  the  average  dairyman  dreads  to  un- 
dertake this  work  and  I  offer  this  as  the  sim- 
plest way  I  know  of  to  get  facts  that  have 
value,  feeling  confident  that  when  a  dairyman 
has  applied  this  test  he  will  have  become  so 
much  interested  that  he  will  apply  a  more 
thorough  one. 

The  benefit  that  a  dairyman  derives  from 
testing  his  herd  is  much  greater  than  one  would 
at  first  suppose.  We  will  call  200  Ibs.  of  butter 
annually  the  line  between  profit  and  loss.  This 
will  hold  good  in  the  Central  and  most  of  the 
Western  States.  The  Eastern  States  may  need 
to  put  this  line  up  to  225  Ibs.  on  account  of  feed 
being  higher.  This  is  a  point  that  every  dairy- 
man must  figure  out  for  himself,  whether  he 
lives  East  or  West,  North  or  South. 

Comparative  profit. — What  I  wish  to  bring 
out  is  the  comparative  profit  of  cows  that  make 
250  Ibs.  and  those  that  make  more.  The  250-lb. 
cow  leaves  50  Ibs.  for  profit  and  a  300-lb.  cow 
leaves  100  Ibs.  for  profit,  or  twice  as  much  as 
the  250-lb.  cow,  and  is  worth  twice  as  much. 
The  350-lb.  cow  is  worth  three  times  as  much 
as  the  250-lb.  cow  and  six  times  as  much  as  the 
225-lb.  cow.  This  is  supposing  that  one  cow 
consumes  as  much  food  as  the  other.  This  may 
or  may  not  be  tne  case,  but  whether  it  is  or 
not  it  does  not  in  any  case  make  an  argument 


20  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

of  sufficient  weight  to  be  considered  when 
comparing  250-lb.  cows  with  350  to  400-1  b. 
cows. 

The  question  of  the  ability  of  cows  to  pro- 
duce the  most  from  the  food  consumed  is  an 
important  one  and  should  be  followed  as  soon 
as  we  can  reach  it. 

Cows  in  debt  to  us. — But  let  us  first  weed 
out  the  cows  that  are  getting  in  debt  to  us,  and 
the  number  of  such  cows  in  the  country  is 
alarming.  I  believe  a  majority  of  the  cows  in 
the  United  States  could  be  made  profitable  by 
proper  feed  and  care,  but  the  majority  as  now 
fed  and  cared  for  are  evidently  not  profitable. 
The  last  United  States  census  estimates  the 
average  amount  of  milk  per  cow  annually  at 
2,888  Ibs.,  which,  it  would  be  fair  to  suppose, 
would  make  130  Ibs.  of  butter.  I  do  not  know 
of  a  place  in  the  United  States  where  a  130-lb. 
cow  can  be  made  profitable. 

Buy  a  Babcock  tester. — If  you  have  no  con- 
venient way  of  getting  your  samples  of  milk 
tested  buy  a  Babcock  test  machine  and  do  your 
own  testing.  The  dealers  send  full  instruc- 
tions with  the  machines  and  any  person  with 
average  intelligence  can  learn  in  a  short  time 
to  operate  one.  This  will  be  the  most  satis- 
factory way  in  the  end  and  the  cost  will  not  be 
great.  Every  dairyman  with  ten  cows  can 
afford  to  have  one.  In  fact  no  dairyman  can 


THE    DAIRY    HERD.  21 

afford  to  go  long  without  having  his  cows 
tested. 

When  you  buy  a  Babcock  test  machine  go 
and  see  one  operated,  if  there  is  one  in  your 
vicinity.  This  will  show  you  the  simplicity  of 
it  and  give  you  confidence.  When  you  are 
ready  to  do  some  testing  get  a  sample  of  milk 
and  do  some  trial  work  with  it.  Work  with  it 
until  you  can  get  a  half-dozen  tests  of  the  same 
milk  to  read  alike  or  nearly  so.  The  bottles 
having  been  bought  of  some  reliable  dealer 
who  guarantees  them  accurate  you  will  soon 
find  your  readings  of  the  same  milk  very  near 
alike.  I  remember  one  instance  when  our  lady 
bookkeeper  made  twenty-four  tests  of  the  same 
milk  and  they  all  read  alike.  There  was  not 
enough  difference  to  change  the  reading.  This 
work  will  not  only  prove  profitable  but  instruc- 
tive and  interesting  to  a  person  that  is  cut  out 
for  a  dairyman.  It  must  be  taken  hold  of  with 
a  grip  that  will  allow  of  no  slipping,  and  when 
a  cow  is  found  that  does  not  pay  a  profit  sell 
her  for  beef,  as  you  are  better  off  without  her 
than  with  her.  I  found  cows  in  my  dairy  that 
would  eat  up  the  profit  of  another  cow  that 
made  265  Ibs.  of  butter  annually. 

One  cow  better  than  two. — When  I  had  the 
two  cows  I  made  nothing  from  the  two,  but 
when  the  poor  one  was  sold  I  had  a  profit  of 
.")  from  the  best  one.  There  are  thousands 


22  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

of  such  instances  in  the  dairy  work  of  our 
country.  This  is  a  matter  in  which  we  do  not 
need  to  ask  our  legislatures  for  assistance  un- 
less it  is  for  legislation  compelling  us  to  im- 
prove our  opportunities. 

In  1892  I  set  my  standard  at  200  Ibs.  of  but- 
ter per  cow  and  found  twenty-one  cows  out  of 
sixty-four  to  be  below  that  standard  and  they 
were  sold  for  beef.  In  1893  I  raised  my  stand- 
ard to  210  Ibs.  and  had  eighteen  to  sell  for  beef. 
In  1894  I  raised  the  standard  to  225  Ibs.  and  had 
six  to  sell  for  beef.  I  hope  in  a  very  few  years 
to  be  able  to  replace  all  cows  that  do  not  make 
250  Ibs.  of  butter  annually  with  better  ones  of 
my  own  raising.  I  can  see  no  reason  why  per- 
sistent work  on  the  part  of  any  intelligent 
dairyman  will  not  take  him  up  to  the  point 
where  he  can  dispose  of  all  cows  that  do  not 
make  800  Ibs.  of  butter  annually  and  secure  an 
average  for  the  h,erd  of  400  Ibs.  or  more. 

Intelligent  breeding. — When  we  have  once 
learned  what  each  cow  is  doing  for  us  we  are  in 
a  position  to  do  intelligent  work  in  the  line  of 
breeding,  and  we  are  not  in  position  to  do  the 
best  work  until  we  know  each  individual  cow. 
We  will  admit  the  fact  that  the  bull  is  half  the 
herd  so  far  as  offspring  is  concerned,  and  he  is 
a  half  that  should  be  thoroughly  looked  after. 
Look  well  after  the  butter  record  of  his  ances- 
tors, especially  his  dam.  Do  not  let  a  few  dol- 


THE   DAIRY   HERD.  23 

lars  prevent  your  securing  the  best  you  can 
find.  It  will  be  a  good  investment. 

Now  that  you  know  the  butter  record  of  each 
cow  and  you  have  a  bull  from  some  choice 
butter-making  family,  you  are  in  position  to 
grow  some  heifers  that  will  do  you  good.  These 
heifers  should  be  grown  on  skim-milk  after  they 
are  from  one  to  two  weeks  old.  This  subject 
will  be  treated  in  the  chapter  on  skim-milk. 
They  must  be  kept  growing  continually,  as  any 
check  in  their  growth  is  a  cause  of  loss  in  size 
and  development  of  the  digestive  organs,  and 
consequently  affects  the  future  value  of  the 
animal. 

Age  to  breed. — I  practice  breeding  my  heif- 
ers so  that  they  drop  their  first  calves  at  two 
years  of  age.  I  am  confident  that  they  make 
better  cows  to  come  in  milk  at  two  years  of 
age  than  later.  They  should  be  handled  from 
the  time  they  are  calves,  so  that  they  may  not 
be  afraid  of  the  person  caring  for  them.  Where 
this  is  done  there  is  very  little  trouble  when 
they  drop  their  calves,  but  if  they  have  not 
been  so  handled  and  are  afraid  of  the  person 
caring  for  them,  and  of  their  surroundings,  they 
suffer  much  from  fear;  and  much  patience  will 
be  required  to  overcome  their  fear  and  teach 
them  to  be  quiet  while  being  milked. 

Establish  the  milking  habit. — Care  should 
be  exercised  during  their  first  milking  period 


24  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

to  establish  or  fix  the  habit  of  milking  as  long 
as  desirable.  If  they  are  allowed  to  go  dry  too 
early  in  their  first  year  of  milking  they  are 
more  likely  to  do  the  same  the  succeeding  year, 
and  the  habit  is  soon  fixed.  They  should  be 
milked  to  within  two  months  or  less  of  the  time 
of  dropping  their  calves.  This  is  the  kind  of 
work  that  has  developed  and  made  it  practica- 
ble to  secure  the  large  yields  of  butter  from 
cows  that  we  now  so  frequently  obtain. 

Do  not  force  a  cow  dry.  If  she  persists  in 
milking  the  whole  time  let  her  have  her  way 
about  it.  Drying  off  a  persistent  milker  re- 
quires more  care  than  the  average  milker  will 
give  to  it.  I  have  had  such  cows  forced  dry 
and  when  fresh  again  found  a  part  of  the  udder 
injured  so  as  to  be  useless,  and  I  had  a  three- 
teated  cow  as  the  result. 

Buying  cows. — As  time  passes  and  the  Bab- 
cock  test  comes  into  more  general  use  it  will 
become  more  and  more  difficult  to  buy  cows 
that  will  make  a  profit,  as  the  farmers,  becom- 
ing acquainted  with  their  cows,  will  not  sell 
their  best  ones.  This  is  as  it  should  be,  and  we 
should  be  prepared  to  meet  this  gradual  change 
that  is  sure  to  come. 

What  breed  to  select  for  dairy  purposes  I 
shall  not  undertake  to  tell  you,  only  let  it  be 
some  one  of  the  special  dairy-purpose  breeds. 
Study  this  subject  thoroughly  and  select  the 


THE    DAIRY    HERD.  25 

breed  you  think  best  suited  to  your  wants.  I 
have  grade  Jerseys  that  are  excellent  cows,  also 
grade  Holstein-Friesians,  grade  Short-horns, 
and  registered  Jerseys. 

Prof.  W.  H.  Caldwell  of  New  Hampshire,  who 
was  superintendent  of  the  Guernsey  cows  in 
the  great  breed  contest  at  the  Columbian  Ex- 
position, in  writing  on  this  subject  uses  the  fol- 
lowing language: 

This  law  of  natural  selection  applies  with  equal  force  to 
the  dairy  cow.  The  progressive  dairyman  wants  a  dairy 
cow  whose  lines  of  temperament  and  functions  are  for  milk 
or  butter,  as  may  be  desired.  It  does  not  necessitate  fancy- 
bred  stock.  Don't,  however,  believe  I  wish  to  raise  one 
word  against  pedigreed  stock.  There  is  place  for  it,  and  it 
should  be  more  generally  distributed  than  it  now  is  and 
farmers  should  be  more  eager  for  its  influence.  My  object 
now  is  to  take  the  problem  confronting  the  hundreds  of 
dairymen  whose  conditions  have  not  led  to  the  same.  Com- 
petition and  economy  are  forcing  them  to  improve  their 
stock.  This  lesson  of  individuality  should  be  a  most  en- 
couraging one  to  them.  They  undoubtedly  have  many  a  fine 
profitable  dairy  cow  in  their  own  herds.  What  is  needed  is 
to  have  some  plan  of  improvement. 

The  Illinois  Experiment  Station  has  recently 
been  purchasing  cows  for  a  dairy.  The  scale 
and  Babcock  test  have  been  applied  to  every 
cow  and  no  cow  purchased  that  did  not  prom- 
ise to  make  300  Ibs.  of  butter  annually.  The 
fact  that  we  were  able  to  purchase  300-lb.  cows 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  experiment  station  was  a 
source  of  gratification  to  me.  It  shows  very 
conclusively  to  me  that  there  are  good  cows  in 


26  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

all  localities.  What  is  needed  is  to  become 
acquainted  with  them. 

I  now  have  on  my  farm  sixty-five  heifers 
that  are  from  grade  Holstein-Friesian  cows  and 
registered  Jersey  bulls.  They  are  a  very  prom- 
ising lot  of  heifers  and  I  feel  confident  they 
will  do  me  good  work.  They  have  the  Jersey 
markings  mostly  and  are  open  and  roomily 
built,  with  good  size  and  large  digestive  or- 
gans. A  pony-built  heifer  is  pretty  to  look  at 
but  I  pass  them  when  looking  for  the  future 
cow.  My  business  brings  me  in  contact  with 
dairymen  daily,  and  in  conversation  with  them 
I  often  feel  that  they  do  not  realize  the  oppor- 
tunities there  are  for  improvement  on  our 
present  work  in  our  dairies.  It  is  very  hard  to 
realize  what  a  delicate  piece  of  machinery  the 
cow  is.  We  have  a  great  deal  to  learn  about 
her  yet,  and  the  more  I  learn  the  more  I  see  I 
need  to  learn.  Raising  calves  will  be  treated 
under  the  head  of  skim-milk. 

Test  before  buying. — When  buying  cows  it 
is  best  to  test  them  before  buying  and  avoid 
unprofitable  cows.  This  can  easily  be  done  if 
the  cow  is  giving  milk.  With  the  present  low 
price  of  beef  a  discarded  cow  will  not  sell  for 
beef  without  considerable  loss  from  the  price 
paid  for  her  as  a  milch  cow.  Several  years  ago 
when  fat  cows  would  sell  to  the  butchers  for 
from  four  to  five  cents  a  pound,  live  weight,  we 


THE   DAIRY   HERD.  27 

could  dispose  of  them  without  loss,  but  now  it 
is  quite  different,  as  cow  beef  is  very  low 
priced. 

Disposing  of  unprofitable  cows. — The  best 
way  I  have  learned  to  dispose  of  cows  that  are 
below  standard  is  to  feed  heavy  and  milk  at 
the  same  time.  After  three  or  four  months 
most  cows  will  improve  in  condition,  and  may 
be  fattened  while  being  milked  and  sold  for 
beef  soon  after  being  dry.  Fattening  dry  cows 
is  unprofitable  work.  I  have  never  been  able 
to  do  it  without  loss.  I  advise  to  fatten  while 
milking  always,  and  sell  as  soon  as  possible 
after  the  cow  is  dry,  as  a  dry  cow  cannot  be  fed 
at  a  profit  with  the  present  low  price  of  cow 
beef. 

Cost  of  cow  beef. — The  Maryland  Experi- 
ment Station  reports  a  comparison  of  the  cost 
of  fattening  cows  nine  to  ten  years  old  and 
those  five  to  six  years  old,  feeding  corn-meal, 
wheat  middlings,  linseed-meal  and  Hungarian 
hay  or  corn  stover.  In  eight  weeks  the  two 
older  cows  gained  105  Ibs.,  at  a  cost  for  food  of 
$20.65,  or  nearly  twenty  cents  per  pound  of 
gain,  and  the  two  younger  cows  gained  209 
Ibs.,  at  a  cost  of  $21.95,  or  about  ten  and  one- 
half  cents  per  pound.  Some  European  work  in 
this  line  has  shown  it  to  be  very  unprofitable. 

Cost  of  feeding  individual  cows. — When  we 
have  got  our  cows  tested  pretty  thoroughly  for 


28  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

butter  it  is  time  for  us  to  test  to  learn  what 
feed  each  individual  cow  consumes.  The  Penn- 
sylvania Experiment  Station  has  done  some 
work  in  this  line,  and  with  results  that  are  in- 
teresting, instructive  and  valuable.  This  work 
is  reported  in  "Bulletin  No.  24."  On  page  11 
of  this  bulletin  we  find  that  the  cow  Marguerite 
produced  6,512  Ibs.  of  milk  and  296  Ibs.  of  but- 
ter, and  the  cow  Bamona  5,459  Ibs.  of  milk  and 
279  Ibs.  of  butter. 

Judging  these  cows  on  the.basis  of  the  but- 
ter made  we  would  call  Marguerite  the  best 
cow,  but  when  the  cost  of  feed  is  deducted  we 
find  that  Marguerite  has  left  to  her  credit  $31.50 
and  Eamona  has  $61.50.  In  closing  this  bulletin 
they  say: 

The  reader  may  regard  these  as  extreme  cases,  and  yet 
they  were  selected  from  the  ten  animals  used  in  this  experi- 
ment and  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt  that  as  great  differences 
might  be  found  in  any  ordinary  herd. 

Unquestionably  the  presumption  is  in  favor  of  the  animal 
producing  the  largest  quantity  of  buttor  per  year.  On  the 
average  this  is  true,  but  the  most  successful  dairyman  has 
to  deal  with  individuals  rather  than  averages,  otherwise  it 
will  be  impossible  for  him  to  derive  the  greatest  possible 
profit  from  his  business. 

These  facts  are  in  no  way  applicable  to  the  farmer  who 
has  yet  to  learn  what  each  animal  in  his  herd  is  producing. 
To  him  the  use  of  the  Babcock  test  and-  milk  scales  is  of 
paramount  importance.  But  to  the  careful,  thoughtful  dairy- 
man there  is  undoubtedly  an  opportunity  for  a  great  saving 
by  applying  the  feed  test  to  each  animal,  as  well  as  the  but- 
ter test,  and  weeding  out  those  animals  that  do  not  make 
satisfactory  return  for  the  food  consumed.  It  is  true  that 


THE   DAIRY   HERD.  29 

this  involves  some  labor  and  pains,  but  requires  a  small  out- 
lay of  money,  While  making-  such  a  test  he  will  also  be 
able  to  determine  the  quantity  of  food  that  each  animal  re- 
quires for  the  greatest  profit,  and  be  thereby  doubly  repaid 
for  his  labor. 


CHAPTER   II. 


FEED  AND  MANAGEMENT. 

In  feeding  cows  the  point  that  attracts  niy 
attention  more  frequently  than  any  other  is 
palatability  of  the  food.  This  point  must  be 
looked  after  with  great  care,  as  it  is  the  key  to 
the  situation.  It  matters  but  little  how  much 
nutriment  there  is  in  any  kind  of  food;  if  it  is 
not  palatable  the  cows  will  not  eat  enough  of 
it  to  make  a  satisfactory  profit. 

The  cow  a  machine. — The  cow  is  a  machine 
for  manufacturing  our  coarse  fodder  and  grain 
into  milk.  This  machine  requires  a  certain 
amount  to  keep  it  in  running  order,  and  our 
profit  comes  from  what  she  consumes  after  she 
has  taken  care  of  herself.  A  food  may  be  so 
lacking  in  palatability  that  she  will  only  con- 
sume enough  to  sustain  herself,  in  which  case 
our  profit  is  a  minus  quantity.  The  question 
of  digestibility  enters  into  the  problem,  but  my 
experience  has  caused  me  to  think  that  palata- 
bility and  digestibility  go  together,  or  at  least 
a  palatable  food  is  a  digestible  food.  Palata- 
bility we  must  have  as  we  cannot  succeed  with- 

(30) 


FEED   AND   MANAGEMENT.  31 

out  it.  How  shall  we  secure  it?  With  our  hay 
it  can  be  attained  by  cutting  at  the  proper  time 
and  curing  and  protecting  it  in  a  proper  manner. 
My  experience  teaches  me  that  the  clovers,  and 
especially  the  medium  clover,  make  the  best 
hay  for  milch  cows  when  cut  at  the  proper 
time  and  weir  cured  and  secured. 

Make  hay  early. — Only  a  small  percentage 
of  farmers  commence  making  hay  as  early  as 
they  should.  A  pressure  of  other  farm  work  is 
the  excuse  for  this.  I  say  excuse  for  the  reason 
that  many  farmers  know  that  they  are  not  do- 
ing as  well  as  they  know  how,  but  other  work 
is  crowding  and  they  postpone  haying  thinking 
they  will  not  lose  as  much  by  letting  clover 
wait  as  they  will  by  letting  some  other  crop 
wait.  The  fact  is  we  cannot  afford  to  let  any- 
thing wait,  but  we  sometimes  are  compelled  to, 
or  at  least  we  think  we  are.  Clover  should  be 
cut  for  hay  when  in  full  blossom,  and  the  same 
rule  will  apply  to  other  grasses  when  to  be 
made  into  hay  for  cows.  If  we  have  a  large 
quantity  to  cut  we  need  to  commence  before  it 
reaches  its  best  stage,  otherwise  some  of  it  will 
become  much  too  far  advanced  before  we  can 
secure  it  all.  The  cow  cannot  overcome  our 
mistakes.  It  does  not  matter  what  the  cause 
of  the  delay  is,  when  it  gets  to  the  cow  she  is 
compelled  to  accept  of  our  excuses  for  not  fur- 
nishing a  more  palatable  and 


32  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

and  we  are  compelled  to  accept  her  excuse  for 
not  producing  a  profitable  quantity  of  milk. 
This  is  an  inevitable  result.  The  cow  is  not  to 
blame,  for  she  has  done  her  best.  If  she  could 
talk  English  I  believe  she  would  make  some  of 
us  ashamed  of  ourselves. 

Study  cow  language. — If  we  would  try  to 
learn  cow  language  it  would  pay  us  well  for 
the  time  spent — learn  to  know  as  soon  as  we 
look  the  cow  over  and  her  surroundings  what 
we  have  failed  to  do  that  we  should  have  done 
for  the  comfort  and  health  of  the  cow  and 
profit  to  the  owner.  There  are  many  things 
here  that  I  cannot  describe.  We  must  study 
the  situation  and  the  cows;  try  to  reach  the 
condition  that  we  know  intuitively  when  things 
are  right  and  when  they  are  not  right.  This 
will  come  with  experience  and  with  it  will 
come  an  increased  profit  for  our  work.  We 
cannot  cover  the  loss  from  poor  hay  or  silage. 
I  have  never  been  able  to  bridge  over  the  mis- 
takes I  have  made  in  not  securing  the  best  hay 
or  silage  for  my  cows.  An  increase  of  the 
ground  feed  will  help,  but  it  will  not  cover  the 
mistake  in  full.  At  the  same  time  it  increases 
the  cost  of  food  as  a  rule,  as  in  most  localities 
the  coarse  foods  are  the  most  economical  so  far 
as  they  can  be  used.  We  pay  clearly  when  we 
fail  to  secure  our  hay,  corn-fodder  and  silage  in 
the  best  possible  condition.  We  lose  some- 


FEED   AND   MANAGEMENT.  33 

thing  that  we  can  never  recover.    We  can 
simply  learn  not  to  do  it  again. 

When  to  cut  corn  for  silage. — I  believe  I 
get  the  most  out  of  my  corn  crop  by  cutting  it 
when  the  grains  are  beginning  to  glaze,  or  be- 
tween denting  and  glazing.  The  large  white 
Southern  corn  I  put  in  the  silo  when  it  is  well 
dented  and  it  makes  excellent  feed — I  think 
better  feed  than  our  native  corn.  In  all  cases 
grow  a  variety  for  the  silo  that  will  reach  the 
stage  of  denting  or  glazing  before  frosts.  One 
of  the  early  mistakes  with  the  silo  was  in  put- 
ting in  the  corn  too  immature.  It  had  not  the 
nutriment  in  it.  It  had  not  reached  its  best. 
I  saw  many  illustrations  of  this  fact  the  season 
of  1893,  which  was  extremely  dry,  with  very 
little  rain  after  July  4.  The  pastures  were 
brown  in  August  and  the  farmers  were  com- 
pelled to  feed  green  corn  or  hay  to  their  cows 
or  let  them  dry  up.  The  corn  was  not  suffi- 
ciently matured  at  this  time  and  we  found  our 
yield  of  butter  at  the  creameries  running  very 
low — a  large  percentage  lower  than  the  corre- 
sponding time  the  previous  season.  I  made 
many  comparisons  between  the  two  years  from 
different  patrons.  The  previous  year  there 
was  excellent  pasture  and  after-feed  for  the 
cows,  and  as  a  rule  they  did  not  need  any  extra 
food.  In  a  comparison  of  eighteen  patrons  I 
found  but  one  with  a  higher  percentage  of  fat 


34  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

that  season  than  the  previous  one;  two  with 
the  same,  and  all  others  with  a  lower  percent- 
age of  fat.  The  average  of  the  whole  list 
showed  6  per  cent  less  fat  in  1893  than  during 
the  corresponding  time  in  1892.  With  all  points 
equal  we  should  have  expected  a  little  higher 
per  cent  of  fat  in  1893  than  in  1892,  from  the 
fact  that  our  patrons  are  all  getting  pay  by  the 
test,  and  this  stimulates  them  to  test  their  cows 
and  do  considerable  weeding  out.  We  get  a 
larger  butter  yield  than  we  did  before  we  paid 
by  the  test. 

Exposure  of  silage  surface. — A  point  I  wish 
to  speak  of  in  connection  with  the  silo  is  the 
amount  of  surface  exposed  at  one  time.  Ex- 
perience has  taught  me  that  it  should  not  be 
more  than  eight  surface  feet  per  cow  in  cold 
weather  and  less  in  warm  weather,  as  the 
silage  will  commence  to  decay  more  quickly  in 
warm  weather.  I  am  confident  that  the  mis- 
take is  oftener  made  with  the  silo  of  exposing 
too  much  surface  for  the  stock  to  be  fed  than 
any  other.  When  it  is  exposed  so  long  that  de- 
cay commences  it  will  make  bad  milk,  the  same 
as  any  other  decayed  food  will. 

With  ten  years'  experience  I  firmly  believe 
that  sound  silage  from  properly  matured  corn 
will  produce  milk  and  butter  that  is  above  criti- 
cism. There  will  be  no  fault  traceable  to  the 
feed.  I  have  frequently  been  asked  why  the 


FEED   AND   MANAGEMENT.  35 

condensed  milk  factories  do  not  allow  their 
patrons  to  feed  silage  if  it  is  all  right  as  a  milk- 
producing  food.  The  Lansing,  Mich.,  factory 
does  allow  its  patrons  to  feed  silage,  and  has, 
moreover,  issued  a  pamphlet  urging  them  to 
use  it  and  instructing  them  how  to  grow,  han- 
dle and  feed  silage.  There  is  probably  more 
danger  of  the  cows  getting  unsound  food  when 
silage  is  fed  than  there  is  when  dry  food  is  used. 
When  we  learn  to  make  perfect  silage,  and  use 
proper  care  in  feeding  it,  so  that  decay  does  not 
commence  before  it  is  fed,  I  believe  we  shall 
find  the  objections  to  it  will  gradually  wear 
away  and  in  time  disappear. 

Silage  butter. — I  have  made  butter  from 
silage  milk  and  had  it  scored  by  experts,  and 
none  of  them  found  anything  to  cause  them  to 
think  of  silage.  I  have  also  had  samples  of 
silage  milk  warmed  to  110  deg.  to  115  deg. 
Fan.  and  examined  for  flavor  daily  for  weeks, 
and  nothing  found  to  cause  us  to  think  of  the 
silo;  but  we  had  reason  to  think  of  unclean 
cans,  the  pig  pen,  the  cow  stable  and  various 
other  things  which  the  milk  had  absorbed  by 
being  exposed  after  milking.  Milk  exposed  in 
a  silo  in  an  open  vessel  will  absorb  from  the 
silage,  so  that  any  person  acquainted  with  the 
silo  will  know  where  it  has  been  exposed. 

Planting  for  silage. — I  formerly  planted 
twenty  to  thirty  quarts  of  corn  per  acr*j  fur 


36  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

silage.  I  now  plant  ten  quarts,  which  gives  an 
ear  on  most  of  the  stalks,  I  believe  this  is 
more  economical  than  to  grow  more  fodder 
and  then  feed  more  ground  feed.  I  find  the 
cows  digest  all  the  corn  when  it  is  put  in  the 
silo  at  the  denting  and  glazing  stage.  I  do  not 
believe  it  pays  to  husk,  shell  and  grind  the 
corn  for  cows  when  we  have  a  silo,  as  I  fail  to 
find  any  loss  when  put  in  at  the  proper  time, 
for  the  cows,  judging  from  the  appearance  of 
the  droppings,  digest  all  of  the  ears. 

The  cow  the  best  judge. — I  believe  the  best 
guide  as  to  the  proper  stage  of  maturity  to  have 
the  corn  when  put  into  the  silo  is  the  cow,  and 
the  desirable  point  is  shown  by  watching  the 
work  of  the  cow.  My  experience  has  taught 
me  that  it  is  between  the  denting  and  glazing 
stage.  If  it  goes  much  past  the  glazing  stage 
the  cow  will  not  digest  it  all. 

A  feeding  problem. — Frequently  when  ex- 
amining my  cows  and  their  work  in  the  past 
when  feeding  shocked  corn,  cut  ears  and  fodder 
together  I  have  noticed  the  large  quantity  of 
undigested  corn  in  the  manure  and  have  asked 
myself  the  question:  "Can  we  afford  to  let  the 
cow  employ  her  digestive  machinery  on  food 
that  she  does  not  chew  and  digest?"  My 
opinion  is  that  we  cannot.  I  am  confident  she 
does  not  do  as  profitable  work  for  her  owner  as 
when  she  has  the  food  in  a  condition  that  she 


FEED   AND    MANAGEMENT.  37 

can  eat  and  digest  it.  I  also  believe  this  trying 
to  do  what  she  cannot  wears  out  her  digestive 
machinery,  and  therefore  she  will  not  continue 
to  do  profitable  work  as  long  as  she  would  if 
supplied  with  the  food  in  a  digestible  condition. 
There  is  a  difference  between  a  cow  and  a 
steer.  If  the  cow  is  a  good  one  we  wish  to  keep 
her  as  long  as  she  is  profitable.  The  steer  we 
expect  to  dispose  of  as  soon  as  it  reaches  ma- 
turity, if  not  before,  and  his  machinery  may 
stand  the  wear  and  tear  the  necessary  time,  but 
that  of  the  cow  I  believe  will  not.  I  cannot 
offer  any  figures  to  prove  my  position  on  this 
point.  It  is  an  opinion  formed  from  observa- 
tion. 

If  a  farmer  wishes  to  carry  all  the  cattle  pos- 
sible on  his  farm  and  buy  ground  feed  for  them 
he  should  plant  his  corn  thick  enough  so  that 
it  will  not  ear,  as  more  fodder  can  be  grown  in 
this  way.  It  is  possible  that  a  larger  profit  can 
be  secured  from  the  farm  in  this  way,  but  I  am 
confident  a  larger  profit  can  be  secured  per  cow 
from  feeding  silage  when  the  corn  is  planted  so 
as  to  grow  ears  on  most  of  the  stalks  and 
when  it  is  put  in  the  silo  in  the  dented  stage 
and  before  glazing.  In  the  early  silo  work  the 
corn  was  put  in  too  green.  Now  we — or  some 
of  us — are  at  the  other  extreme  and  are  putting 
in  corn  too  dry  to  pack  sufficiently  close  to  ex- 
clude the  air,  so  as  to  prevent  mold  and  decay. 


38  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

I  have  known  this  trouble  in  my  locality  in  the 
last  two  years.  Some  of  my  corn  got  frosted 
last  season  before  we  were  through  filling  the 
silos  and  I  sprinkled  it  as  it  passed  from  the 
cutter  up  the  elevator.  I  accomplished  this  by 
conducting  water  through  a  hose  to  the  foot  of 
the  elevator  and  spraying  the  corn  as  it  dropped 
from  the  cutter  into  the  foot  of  the  elevator. 
This  should  be  done  with  frosted  corn  or  corn 
that  has  become  too  dry  from  any  cause.  Do 
not  be  afraid  the  water  will  do  any  harm,  as  it 
will  not,  but  there  is  danger  of  harm  if  the 
water  is  not  used.  This  information  cost  me 
enough  so  that  I  remember  it. 

If  we  put  corn  into  the  silo  that  has  not  suf- 
ficient weight  in  itself  to  pack  so  as  to  exclude 
the  air  we  must  add  water  sufficient  to  accom- 
plish this  or  provide  some  other  means  of  doing 
it,  or  we  will  have  moldy  silage  or  perhaps  find 
there  has  been  sufficient  heat  to  cause  it  to  be 
black,  and  it  will  smell  like  burned  molasses. 

How  fast  to  fill  the  silo. — When  corn  has 
reached  the  stage  of  denting  to  glazing  we  can 
safely  put  it  in  as  fast  as  cut  in  the  field.  In 
fact  I  think  it  best  to  do  so.  For  a  part  of  my 
work  last  season  I  had  a  machine  that  cut  one 
row  at  a  time  and  elevated  it  onto  the  wagon 
driven  by  the  side.  With  it  two  men  and  five 
horses  cut  and  load  one  row  as  fast  as  the  horses 
walk.  This  was  a  trial  machine,  but  I  am  hope- 


FEED   AND   MANAGEMENT.  39 

ful  that  I  shall  have  a  machine  for  next  season 
that  will  do  this  work  quite  satisfactorily. 
When  this  is  accomplished  the  expense  of  fill- 
ing our  silos  will  be  materially  reduced. 

Wet  chaff  for  weighting  silos.— For  three 
years  I  have  used  chaff  to  weight  my  silos,  hav- 
ing first  made  it  as  wet  as  possible.  In  this 
condition  it  packs  very  closely  and  makes  the 
best  covering  I  have  ever  used.  Twelve  inches 
of  it  will  protect  the  corn  so  there  will  be  none 
of  it  lost  from  decay. 

Warm  the  water. — As  soon  as  we  get  freez- 
ing weather  I  warm  the  water  for  my  cows.  I 
have  a  steam  boiler  at  my  farm  and  a  reservoir 
for  water  on  the  floor  above.  The  water  runs 
underground  to  the  stables.  When  we  wish  to 
warm  the  water  for  the  cows  we  connect  the 
water  and  steam  pipes  and  inject  sufficient 
steam  into  the  water  as  it  runs  to  the  barn  to 
give  the  desired  temperature — 75  to  80  deg. 
Fah.  I  find  my  cows  prefer  the  warm  water  to 
cold  water.  They  give  more  milk  when  they 
have  warm  water;  they  also  look  better  and 
are  less  liable  to  sickness.  It  is  safe  to  let  a 
cow  drink  all  the  warm  water  she  wants  at 
any  time,  but  it  is  not  safe  to  let  her  drink  all 
the  cold  water  she  wants.  This  I  know  to  my 
cost. 

I  have  heard  men  argue  that  warm  water  is 
not  palatable  to  stock.  This  does  not  agree 


40  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

with  my  experience.  I  once  saw  some  of  my 
young  stock  get  into  a  water  tank  to  reach  the 
warm  water  that  was  running  in  from  a  pipe 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  tank  where  they 
could  not  reach  it  without  getting  into  the 
tank.  I  have  also  watched  my  cows  in  the  pas- 
ture in  the  summer  and  fall.  I  have  an  eight- 
inch  tile  discharging  into  an  open  ditch  forty 
rods  from  a  stream  into  which  it  empties.  In 
warm  weather  the  cows  will  drink  from  this 
open  ditch  near  its  outlet  into  the  stream 
where  the  water  is  warmer  than  at  the  mouth 
of  the  tile.  But  as  soon  as  it  gets  cold  in  the 
autumn  the  cows  go  to  the  mouth  of  the  tile 
where  the  water  is  the  warmest.  In  both  cases 
they  appear  to  prefer  to  drink  at  the  point 
where  the  water  is  the  warmest. 

I  believe  it  is  more  economical  to  warm  the 
water  before  the  cow  drinks  it,  with  coal  at 
$3  or  $4  per  ton,  than  it  is  to  warm  it  with 
hay  and  grain  after  she  drinks.  Hay  and  grain 
do  not  get  low-priced  enough  in  Northern 
Illinois  to  be  used  as  fuel.  I  have  seen  the 
time  when  corn  was  a  more  economical  fuel 
than  coal,  but  coal  is  lower  and  corn  higher 
than  at  that  time.  We  do  not  burn  it  any 
more. 

Watering  in  the  stable. — I  have  never  wa- 
tered my  cows  in  the  stable.  I  have  thought 
considerable  about  it.  I  have  seen  a  number 


FEED    AND   MANAGEMENT.  41 

of  stables  fitted  with  watering  devices.  I  do 
not  believe  it  is  advisable  to  allow  the  water  to 
stand  exposed  in  an  open  vessel  in  the  stable 
as  it  will  absorb  any  impurities  there  may  be 
in  the  atmosphere.  This  we  all  know  to  be  a 
fact  if  we  will  give  it  thought.  Another  ob- 
jection to  open  water  in  the  manger  or  within 
reach  of  the  cow  is  the  liability  of  the  cows 
dropping  feed  into  it.  This  will  cause  the 
water  to  get  in  bad  condition  in  a  very  short 
time.  When  watering  in  the  stable  I  think  it 
would  be  safest  and  best  to  water  twice  per 
day,  and  after  watering  empty  the  water  buck- 
ets and  close  them  so  the  stock  cannot  get  any 
food  into  them. 

I  cannot  yet  believe  it  is  not  well  for  the 
cows  to  go  into  the  yard  as  many  at  a  time  as 
have  room  to  drink,  get  what  warm  water  they 
want,  and  then  when  cold  or  stormy  be  re- 
turned to  the  barn  and  another  lot  turned  out. 
When  it  is  warm  and  pleasant  allow  the  cows 
to  remain  a  few  hours  in  the  yard;  it  will  do 
them  good.  A  little  exercise  is  good,  and  fresh 
or  pure  air  is  a  necessity  if  we  are  to  preserve 
the  health  of  our  stock. 

About  tuberculosis. — Ventilation  is  a  vital 
question,  and  is  at  the  present  time  being 
forced  upon  our  attention  more  than  it  has 
been  in  a  long  time.  Tuberculosis  having  been 
detected  in  some  prominent  herds  is  sufficient 


42  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

warrant  for  us  to  be  thinking  about  the  cause 
of  this  disease  developing  in  some  herds  and  not 
in  others.  I  believe  poor  ventilation  is  the 
greatest  promoter  of  this  disease.  I  fear  some 
of  us  have  paid  more  attention  to  securing 
warm  stables  than  we  have  to  securing  good 
air  or  ventilation.  This  is  a  question  wre  shall 
receive  information  on  from  our  experiment 
stations  in  the  near  future,  as  at  least  three  of 
them  have  found  their  herds  of  cows  afflicted 
with  this  disease.  At  first  I  felt  it  was  too  bad 
to  have  our  experiment  station  herds  afflicted 
in  this  way,  but  since  giving  the  subject  more 
thought  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it 
is  better  to  have  the  station  herds  afflicted  than 
any  other  herds,  as  it  will  give  an  opportunity 
for  us  to  learn  more  about  it  through  investiga- 
tion than  we  otherwise  would.  The  probabilities 
are  that  there  is  no  more  of  this  disease  in  our 
country  than  there  has  previously  been.  We 
are  discovering  more  of  it,  as  we  have  more 
reliable  means  of  detecting  the  disease.  This 
is  a  question  that  I  do  not  feel  competent  to 
write  much  about,  but  at  the  same  time  there 
is  room  for  good  horse  sense  to  be  used.  I  re- 
cently had  an  interesting  conversation  with  a 
veterinary  professor  in  one  of  our  agricultural 
colleges  (a  man  who  had  had  several  years' 
practice  before  becoming  a  teacher),  in  which 
he  said  he  was  fond  of  milk  and  expected  to 


FEED    AND   MANAGEMENT.  43 

continue  using  it,  and  that  if  all  persons  that 
had  used  milk  from  tuberculous  cows  had  died 
with  consumption  we  would  have  a  much 
smaller  population  than  we  now  have.  I  be- 
lieve that  diseased  cows  should  be  killed  when 
discovered,  but  I  do  not  believe  that  a  large 
percentage  of  our  cows  are  afflicted  with  this 
disease. 

Amount  of  silage  fed. — I  feed  what  corn 
silage  my  cows  will  eat.  I  also  feed  some  hay 
once  per  day  as  a  rule.  I  find  my  cows  thrive 
well  and  do  profitable  work  when  they  have 
only  the  corn  silage  for  coarse  food.  The 
amount  of  ground  feed  to  be  given  in  connec- 
tion with  the  silage  depends  on  the  amount  of 
corn  in  the  silage.  When  the  silage  is  made 
from  corn  that  would  husk  forty  bushels  per 
acre  I  feed  to  mature  cows  five  pounds  of  wheat 
shorts  and  five  pounds  of  grano-gluten  feed. 
The  latter  is  a  kiln-dried,  whisky-distillery  feed 
which  has  been  subjected  to  a  heat  that  kills 
all  germs  of  ferment.  My  cows  invariably 
shrink  in  the  flow  of  milk  and  in  total  fat  pro- 
duced when  I  change  from  corn  silage  to  hay, 
and  the  cost  of  feeding  the  cows  just  as  surely 
increases. 

Can  we  afford  to  feed  oats  ? — Oats  are  an  ex- 
cellent feed  for  cows,  but  as  a  rule  it  pays  me 
to  sell  my  oats  and  buy  shorts  and  bran,  When 
oats  are  comparatively  low  priced  I  grind  them 


44  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

and  feed  to  the  cows.  At  present,  with  oats 
worth  twenty-seven  cents  a  bushel  and  wheat 
bran  and  coarse  middlings  $13  per  ton,  it  figures 
as  follows:  A  ton  of  oats  is  sixty-two  and  a 
half  bushels,  and  at  twenty-seven  cents  equals 
$16.87.  Grinding  at  two  cents  a  bushel  makes 
$1.25,  and  this  added  to  $16.87  makes  a  total  of 
$18.12.  If  a  farmer  has  no  mill  to  do  his  grind- 
ing it  makes  no  difference  whether  he  draws 
his  oats  to  mill  and  back  or  draws  the  oats  to 
market  and  draws  home  other  feed.  The  Wis- 
consin Experiment  Station  has  proved  by  the 
cow  that  oats  are  worth  10  per  cent  more  than 
wheat  bran  to  feed  cows.  When  bran  is  worth 
$13  oats  are  worth  $14.30.  Now,  can  I  afford 
to  feed  them  when  they  are  worth  $18.12  in 
market? 

Rejected  food. — The  silage  and  hay  left  by 
my  cows  are  removed  from  the  mangers  and 
given  to  the  young  heifers,  with  grain  food 
added,  so  nothing  goes  to  waste.  It  will  not 
answer  to  let  rejected  food  remain  in  the  man- 
gers or  feed-boxes,  as  it  will  cause  a  cow  to  get 
off  her  feed  and  off  in  her  milk,  and  away  goes 
the  profit. 

The  calving. — My  cows  drop  their  calves  in 
the  months  of  September  to  December  and  go 
dry  on  pasture  and  milk  as  long  as  they  ought 
to — in  fact  in  many  cases  longer  than  they 
ought  to.  I  do  not  feed  these  cows  ground  feed 


FEED   AND   MANAGEMENT.  45 

after  they  get  full  pasture.  I  am  in  doubt 
about  there  being  a  profit  in  feeding  ground 
feed  to  cows  when  they  are  on  full  pasture. 
But  this  is  not  the  vital  point  here.,  The  main 
question  is  the  health  and  usefulness  of  the 
cow.  My  experience  has  convinced  me  that 
there  is  very  little  danger  at  calving  time  with 
cows  that  calve  in  the  fall  going  dry  on  pasture 
and  having  no  grain  food  after  they  get  full 
pasturage  until  they  are  fresh  again.  My  dairy 
is  very  free  from  troubles  at  calving  time  when 
treated  in  this  way. 

Dr.  Pierson  on  cow-feeding. — In  January, 
1894, 1  had  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  a  lecture 
by  Dr.  Pierson  of  the  Philadelphia  Veterinary 
College  before  the  short  course  class  at  the 
Pennsylvania  State  College,  in  which  he  told 
us  of  the  danger  of  giving  too  much  grain  feed 
to  cows  when  dry.  He  said  it  led  to  trouble  at 
time  of  parturition.  Plenty  of  grass  or  other 
succulent  food  puts  the  cow's  system  in  the 
best  possible  condition  for  this  period.  Do  not 
understand  that  I  do  not  feed  my  cows  in  case 
of  short  pasture  from  drouth  or  any  other 
cause.  Every  farmer  should  plant  corn  for  this 
purpose  if  he  is  in  the  corn  belt.  If  not,  he 
should  plant  some  other  crop,  as  the  cow  must 
have  all  she  wants  of  some  proper  food. 

A  New  York  experiment. — The  New  York 
(Cornell  University)  Experiment  Station  has 


46  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

done  some  very  interesting  and  valuable  work 
covering  three  seasons  (1889,  1890,  1891),  com- 
paring the  effects  of  grain  vs.  no  grain  for  cows 
on  pasture.  The  grain  consisted  of  cotton-seed 
meal  and  bran  fed  alone  or  with  malt  sprouts 
or  corn-meal.  The  first  two  years  the  pasture 
was  luxuriant  and  there  was  no  increased  yield 
of  either  milk  or  butter  from  feeding  the  grain. 
The  yield  of  butter  was  practically  the  same 
for  the  lots  with  and  without  grain.  The  first 
year  the  milk  fell  off  in  yield  but  became  richer 
in  fat  on  grain.  The  third  year  the  pasture 
was  at  no  time  very  luxuriant.  The  eight  cows 
receiving  grain  produced  just  enough  more 
milk  and  butter  to  pay  for  the  cost  of  the 
grain.  The  last  two  years  the  changes  in  live 
weight  were  observed  and  it  was  found  that 
the  cows  receiving  grain  increased  more  in  live 
weight  than  those  receiving  no  grain. 

Kansas  experimental  work.  —  The  Kansas 
Station  (report  1888)  observed  an  increased 
yield  of  milk  and  butter  wrhen  either  corn- 
meal,  wheat  bran  or  ground  oats  were  fed  in 
addition  to  pasture,  but  this  increase  did  not 
nearly  pay  the  cost  of  the  grain.  In  the  above 
experiments  no  account  was  taken  of  the  in- 
creased value  of  the  manure  or  the  saving  of 
pastures  due  to  the  grain  feed. 

Why  should  cows  freshen  in  autumn?— 
There  are  several  reasons  why  I  prefer  to  have 


FEED    AND    MANAGEMENT.  47 

my  cows  fresh  in  the  fall.  First,  they  will  give 
more  milk  in  the  year  than  they  will  if  fresh 
in  the  spring.  When  they  freshen  in  the  fall 
they  are  like  fresh  cows  when  they  get  to  pas- 
ture in  the  spring,  and  they  milk  as  long  as 
they  ought  to,  and  in  many  cases  too  long. 
But  when  they  are  fresh  in  the  spring  they  are 
ready  to  dry  up  at  the  commencement  of  cold 
weather,  and  they  will  dry  up  in  spite  of  all 
the  average  dairyman  will  do  to  prevent  it.  It 
also  gives  the  least  milking  to  be  done  at  the 
time  in  summer  when  the  farm  work  is  crowd- 
ing and  it  distributes  the  labor  so  there  is  work 
for  the  same  force  of  help  the  year  around. 
The  moral  effect  is  good,  as  the  farmer  must  be 
home  at  milking  time.  He  cannot  remain  in^ 
town  and  gossip  until  bedtime. 

Moreover,  we  secure  the  largest  flow  of  milk 
at  the  time  when  it  brings  the  best  price.  The 
difference  in  the  price  of  summer  and  winter 
milk  and  butter  will  probably  be  less  in  the 
future  than  it  has  been  in  the  past.  Especially 
will  this  be  the  case  with  butter  on  account  of 
the  improved  methods  of  cold  storage.  It  was 
formerly  thought  that  butter  was  injured  by  a 
temperature  below  freezing;  now  we  have 
learned  that  it  is  desirable  to  have  it  held  at  a 
temperature  several  degrees  below  freezing. 
This  will  doubtless  cause  an  increased  demand 
for  butter  to  be  held  in  cold  storage  and  put  on 


48  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

the  market  in  fall  and  winter.  This  seems  to 
me  a  natural  result  of  the  changed  conditions. 
At  the  same  time  I  expect  to  continue  my 
present  method  of  having  my  cows  fresh  in  the 
fall  months. 

Warm  stables. — All  stables  should  be  so  pro- 
tected from  the  cold  that  the  manure  will  not 
freeze  in  them  during  the  coldest  weather.  A 
cheap  stable  can  be  made  frost-proof  by  nail- 
ing boards  inside  the  posts  or  studs  and  filling 
solid  with  straw  between.  I  practiced  this  with 
my  first  cow  stable  and  kept  my  cows  as  com- 
fortable as  I  have  since  in  more  expensive 
stables.  I  have  plenty  of  light  in  the  stables 
and  good  ventilation. 

The  following  I  clip  from  The  Dairy  of  Lon- 
don, Eng.  Comment  is  unnecessary: 

Mr.  Alexander  Pottie,  M.  R.  C.  V.  S.,  Paisley,  in  a  lec- 
ture under  the  auspices  of  the  Glasgow  and  West  of  Scot- 
land Agricultural  Discussion  Society,  on  "How  to  Make  the 
Most  of  the  Cow  in  Winter,"  said  that  there  was  a  great  deal 
of  misunderstanding  as  to  what  was  the  proper  temperature 
that  should  be  maintained  in  byres  [barns]  in  winter.  Prom 
experiments  extending  over  a  considerable  period,  which  he 
had  made  in  byres,  he  found  that  the  temperature  at  which 
a  cow  gave  the  largest  amount  of  milk  was  63  deg.  No  arti- 
ficial heat  was  necessary — byres  should  be  heated  by  means 
of  the  warmth  of  the  cows  in  them.  In  a  properly-con- 
structed byre  the  difference  in  value  of  milk  obtained  from 
twenty-nine  or  thirty  cows  in  a  temperature  of  63  deg.  was 
about  £3  more  per  week  than  when  the  temperature  was  52 
deg.  Farmers  did  not  seem  to  be  aware  of  the  loss  they 
were  sustaining  by  keeping  their  cows  in  cold  byres. 


FEED    AND    MANAGEMENT.  49 

How  confine  the  cows. — I  have  used  neck 
ties  and  stanchions,  but  am  discarding  them 
and  putting  in  the  Bidwell  stall.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve we  can  afford  to  use  the  stanchions,  for 
they  do  not  help  us  to  get  past  the  300-lb. 
mark,  and  that  is  what  we  must  do  if  we  make 
it  pay. 

With  a  warm  stable,  well  lighted  and  ven- 
tilated, plenty  of  silage,  early-cut  clover  hay 
and  warm  water  to  drink,  I  have  very  little 
need  of  a  veterinarian  in  my  dairy.  The  cows 
must  be  made  comfortable  at  all  times  and  in 
all  places.  Any  failure  here  the  cow  will  ac- 
count to  you  for  daily  by  a  shortage  in  milk 
and  butter-fat.  The  cow  can  make  her  wants 
known  to  a  man  that  is  using  his  brains  in  his 
work.  Here  is  a  great  field  for  thought  and 
study  to  improve  on  our  present  methods. 

Seeking  a  milk  test. — Several  years  ago  I 
had  an  experience  with  abortion  in  my  dairy. 
1  then  had  sixty  cows  that  I  had  worked  sev- 
eral years  in  getting  up  to  my  idea  of  what  a 
cow  should  be.'  The  first  cow  lost  her  calf  in 
July  and  between  that  time  and  the  following 
June  thirty-five  of  the  sixty  cows  aborted. 
This  broke  my  dairy  up  badly,  as  many  of  the 
cows  failed  to  breed,  became  fat  and  dried  up 
with  their  milk,  and  I  was  compelled  to  sell 
them  for  beef.  About  this  time  I  commenced 
to  take  my  milk  to  one  of  our  creameries  and 

4 


50  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

pool  with  every  other  patron,  as  we  had  no 
practical  way  to  test  milk.  I  bought  cows  for 
a  few  years  to  keep  up  my  dairy,  but  could  not 
get  satisfaction  and  went  back  to  my  old  plan 
of  raising  the  heifer  calves.  The  only  test  I 
applied  was  the  weight  of  milk.  I  was  forced 
to  do  this,  as  I  could  not  afford  to  pool  grade 
Jersey  milk  with  other  milk  that  had  been  pro- 
duced with  quantity  alone  in  view.  I  was  al- 
ways in  open  rebellion  against  this  plan  and 
hunting  for  some  practical  test  that  we  could 
apply  to  our  dairies  and  to  the  individual  cows 
in  the  dairies.  I  felt  all  the  time  that  I  was  a 
backslider  in  my  work  and  it  irritated  me  ter- 
ribly. 

Credit  to  the  scientists. — When  Prof.  Short 
of  the  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station  brought 
out  his  test  my  firm  secured  one,  and  later  Prof. 
Patrick's  test- was  purchased,  which  was  a  long 
step  in  advance.  Next  came  a  letter  from  Prof. 
W.  A.  Henry,  asking  me  to  go  to  Madison  and 
see  Dr.  Babcock's  new  test,  as  he  thought  he 
had  one  that  would  fill  the  wants  of  the  dairy- 
man. He  was  right,  as  it  has  now  come  into 
use  in  all  dairy  countries.  I  bought  such  parts 
as  I  could  at  Madison  and  got  up  the  first  ma- 
chine used  outside  the  Wisconsin  Experiment 
Station,  and  we  are  using  it  now  to  do  the  test 
work  for  six  creameries. 

Abortion    from    ergot  —  treatment.  —  The 


FEED   AND    MANAGEMENT.  51 

cause  of  my  first  trouble  with  abortion  I. never 
became  fully  satisfied  about,  but  connected  it 
with  a  summer  freshet  that  flooded  a  part  of 
my  pasture.  I  suspected  it  was  caused  by  er- 
gotized  grass  on  this  flooded  land.  I  do  not 
now  know  that  to  have  been  the  cause,  but  I 
still  think  it  was.  It  was  three  years  before 
my  dairy  was  clear  of  the  trouble,  and  I  had  no 
more  of  it  until  the  summer  of  1892,  when  fif- 
teen cows  lost  their  calves,  the  trouble  com- 
mencing at  the  same  time  in  July  as  in  the 
former  case.  I  had  been  fearing  it,  as  the  con- 
ditions were  nearly  the  same  as  they  were 
when  I  had  the  first  trouble.  I  secured  some 
remedies  and  sought  advice  from  different 
sources,  but  it  came  as  I  feared  it  would.  The 
flood  water  had  caused  my  pasture  to  be  short 
and  I  had  cut  clover  from  new  ground  that  had 
grown  rye  the  previous  year  and  had  consider- 
able volunteer  rye  with  the  clover.  The  trouble 
commenced  soon  after  using  this  clover  and  rye. 
Every  cow  that  lost  her  calf  was  immediately 
isolated  and  treated  with  vaginal  injections  of 
bichloride  of  mercury,  using  one  part  to  four 
thousand  of  water  and  using  one  gallon  at  a 
treatment  three  times  per  week.  The  same 
lotion  was  used  to  wash  the  vulva  and  tail  and 
any  parts  necessary.  The  trouble  ended  in  a 
few  weeks  and  I  had  no  more  of  it  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring  when  feeding  the  hay  cut  from 


52  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

the  same  rye  field  of  clover.  Then  three  cows 
aborted  and  on  investigation  I  found  plenty  of 
ergot  in  the  rye.  The  trouble  ended  when  we 
stopped  feeding  this  hay. 

Now  I  can  say  this:  I  am  thoroughly  sat- 
isfied that  ergot  caused  the  abortion  in  one 
case.  In  the  other  I  think  it  did,  but  am  not 
sure.  I  believe  I  should  have  lost  from  one- 
half  to  two-thirds  of  my  calves  in  the  last  case 
if  I  had  not  isolated  and  treated  the  cows.  I 
am  confident  that  there  are  several  causes  of 
abortion  in  cows.  What  I  know  about  it  is  as 
nothing  in  comparison  with  what  I  do  not  know. 
I  often  think  of  what  one  of  the  commissioners 
appointed  to  investigate  the  subject  by  the 
New  York  Legislature  several  years  ago  said 
when  through  with  the  investigation.  He  said 
he  did  not  know  as  much  about  the  cause  of 
abortion  as  he  thought  he  did  when  he  com- 
menced the  investigation. 

Rations. — Here  I  will  draw  from  the  Wis- 
consin Experiment  Station  "Bulletin  No.  38," 
entitled,  "One  Hundred  American  Rations  for 
Dairy  Cows."  I  do  this  because  I  believe  it  is 
of  more  value  to  dairymen  than  any  other 
material  at  my  command.  I  will  give  the  name 
and  post-office  address  of  owner  or  manager; 
name  of  breed;  the  weight  of  cow;  annual 
yield  of  milk;  annual  yield  of  butter;  percent- 
age of  fat  in  milk,  and  the  ration  fed.  Prof. 


FEED   AND   MANAGEMENT.  53 

Woll  says:  "For  the  sake  of  comparison  the 
components  of  the  rations  have  all  been  calcu- 
lated per  1,000  Ibs.  live  weight." 

The  following  selections  from  the  100  rations 
in  "Bulletin  No.  38"  include  localities  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  a  variety 
of  foods,  though  silage  is  included  in  a  majority 
of  them: 

No.  1 — J.  W.  Goss,  Hygiene,  Col.  Jersey  cows;  average 
weight,  900 Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk.  5,000  Ibs.;  annual  yield 
of  butter,  340  Ibs.;  percentage  of  fat  in  milk,  5.  Ration — 
30  Ibs.  corn  silage,  10  Ibs.  alfalfa  hay,  10  Ibs.  clover  hay,  5  Ibs. 
roller  bran,  2  Ibs.  corn-meal. 

No.  5 — E.  S.  Henry,  Rockville,  Conn.  Jersey  cows;  aver- 
age weight,  900  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  butter,  375  Ibs.  Ration 
— 35  Ibs.  corn  silage,  10  Ibs.  hay.  3  Ibs.  bran,  3  Ibs.  corn-and- 
cob  meal,  2  Ibs.  cotton-seed  meal,  2  Ibs.  Chicago  gluten-meal. 

No.  6— A.  Bourquin,  Nokomis,  111.  Brown  Swiss  cows; 
average  weight,  1.400  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  butter,  415  Ibs. 
Ration — 7i  Ibs.  clover  hay,  7 *  Ibs.  timothy  hay,  12  Ibs.  corn- 
and-cob  meal,  8  Ibs.  bran,  H  Ibs.  linseed-meal,  li  Ibs.  cotton- 
seed meal. 

No.  11 — Mrs.  Kate  M.  Busick,  Wabash,  Ind.  Jersey  cows; 
average  weight,  800  Ibs.:  annual  yield  of  milk,  4,500  Ibs.;  an- 
nual yield  of  butter,  300  Ibs.;  percentage  of  fat  in  milk,  5.9. 
Ration — 30  Ibs.  corn  silage,  5  Ibs.  clover  hay,  3  Ibs.  corn- 
fodder,  1  Ib.  oat  straw,  1  Ib.  wheat  straw,  5  Ibs.  bran,  2  Ibs. 
oil-meal,  2  Ibs.  cotton-seed  meal. 

No.  14— C.  L.  Gabrilson,  New  Hampton,  la.  Jersey  and 
Short-horn  cows;  average  weight,  1,000  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of 
milk,  4,200  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  butter,  200  Ibs.;  percentage 
of  fat  in  milk,  4.9.  Ration — 50  Ibs.  corn  silage,  5  Ibs.  hay,  5 
Ibs.  corn-fodder,  1  Ib.  oat  straw,  1  Ib.  barley  straw,  5  Ibs.  ear- 
corn,  2|  Ibs.  ground  oats  and  barley. 

No.  24  — W.  "J.  Boynton,  Rochester,  Minn.  Holstein- 
Friesian  cows;  average  weight,  1,400  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of 


54  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

milk,  10,000  Ibs.;  percentage  of  fat  in  milk,  3.6.  Ration— 50 
Ibs.  corn  silage,  8  Ibs.  hay,  3  Ibs.  bran,  2  Ibs.  shorts,  3  Ibs. 
ground  rye  and  oats,  2  Ibs.  barley. 

No.  29— W.  D.  Baker,  Quincy,  N.  H.  Does  not  name'breed; 
average  weight  of  cows,  900  Ibs.;  annual  yield  .of  milk,  5,500 
Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  butter,  312  Ibs.  Rations — (a)  10  Ibs.  clover 
and  witch  grass  hay,  10  Ibs.  corn-stover,  5  Ibs.  unthreshed 
barley,  2  Ibs.  corn-and-cob  meal,  2  Ibs.  shorts,  2  Ibs.  cotton- 
seed meal.  (6)  11.7  Ibs.  clover  and  witch  grass  hay,  3.3  Ibs. 
oat  straw,  10  Ibs.  meadow  hay,  2  Ibs.  shorts,  2  Ibs.  corn-and- 
cob  meal,  1  Ib.  ground  peas,  1  Ib.  oats,  1  Ib.  barley,  (c)  10 
Ibs.  meadow  hay,  10  Ibs.  corn-stover,  5  Ibs.  pea  straw,  2  Ibs. 
middlings,  II  Ibs.  gluten-meal,  14-  Ibs.  cotton-seed  meal,  2  Ibs. 
corn-and-cob  meal,  (d)  10  Ibs.  clover  and  witch  grass  hay,  10 
Ibs.  meadow  hay,  5  Ibs.  pea  straw,  2  Ibs.  shorts,  1  Ib.  gluten- 
meal,  1  Ib.  cotton-seed  meal,  2  Ibs.  corn-and-cob  meal 

No.  34  — H.  M.  Cottrell,  Superintendent  Ellerslie  Stock 
Farm,  Rhinecliff,  N.  Y.  Guernsey  cows;  average  weight  of 
cows,  1,000  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  6,120  Ibs.;  percentage 
of  fat  in  milk,  5.3.  Ration— 25  Ibs.  corn  silage,  7  Ibs.  mixed 
hay,  4  Ibs.  corn-meal,  5  Ibs.  bran,  i  Ib.  oil-meal,  I  Ib.  cotton- 
seed meal. 

No.  45 — Geo.  W.  Sisson.  Jr.,  Potsdam,  N.  Y.  Jerseys; 
average  weight,  800  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  5,000  Ibs.;  an- 
nual yield  of  butter,  300  Ibs.;  percentage  of  fat  in  milk,  5.2. 
Ration— 30  Ibs.  corn  silage,  12  Ibs.  clover  hay,  8  Ibs.  wheat 
middlings,  1  Ib.  oil-meal. 

No.  46— Smiths  &  Powell  Co.,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  Holstein- 
Friesians;  average  weight  of  cows,  1,200  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of 
milk,  12,000  Ibs.  Ration— 40  Ibs.  corn  silage,  15  Ibs.  hay,  9 
Ibs.  wheat  bran,  4i  Ibs.  germ-meal,  1  Ib.  oats,  1  Ib.  wheat,  1 
Ib.  barley,  1  Ib.  corn,  1  Ib.  linseed-meal. 

No.  49 — Munzo  Wilcox,  Milford,  N.  Y.  Devons  and  na- 
tives; average  weight,  785  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  9,200 
Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  butter,  373  Ibs.  Ration — 12  Ibs.  timothy 
hay,  1  Ib.  bran,  1  Ib.  middlings,  2  Ibs.  corn-meal,  2  Ibs.  cotton- 
seed meal,  40  Ibs.  skim-milko 


FEED  AND  MANAGEMENT.          55 

No.  50— A.  Dcmcourt,  Manager  The  Old  Brick  Farm,  Ros- 
lyn,  N.  Y.  Guernseys;  average  weight,  1,000  Ibs.;  annual 
yield  of  milk,  7,300  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  butter,  497  Ibs.;  per- 
centage of  fat  in  milk,  5.7.  Ration — 42  Ibs.  corn  silage,  2| 
Ibs.  clover  hay,  2i  Ibs.  timothy  hay,  8  Ibs.  corn-and-cob  meal, 
14  Ibs.  dried  brewers'  grains. 

No.  55 — John  Gould,  Aurora,  Ohio.  Grades  and  natives; 
average  weight,  1,000  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  5,900  Ibs.; 
percentage  of  fat  in  milk,  4.2.  Ration — 50  Ibs.  corn  silage, 
8  Ibs.  clover,  hay,  5  Ibs.  "seconds." 

No.  61— John  McClintock,  Meadville,  Pa.  Jerseys;  aver- 
age weight,  900  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  5,565  Ibs.;  annual 
yield  of  butter,  370  Ibs.  Ration— 24- Ibs.  corn-fodder,  5.1  Ibs. 
bran,  5.1  Ibs.  corn-meal,  3  Ibs.  cotton-seed  meal,  2  Ibs.  oil- 
meal. 

No.  71 — L.  S.  Drew,  Burlington,  Vt.  Ayrshires;  average 
weight,  1,000  Ibs. ;  annual  yield  of  milk,  5,540  Ibs. ;  percentage 
of  fat  in  milk,  4.3.  Ration— 20  Ibs.  corn  silage,  14  Ibs.  hay, 

3  Ibs.  bran,  2  Ibs.  gluten-meal. 

No.  74 — C.  M.  Winslow,  Brandon,  Vt.  Ayrshires;  average 
weight,  1,000  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  6,187  Ibs.;  percent- 
age of  fat  in  milk,  4.25.  Ration— 30  Ibs.  hay,  1.8  Ibs.  wheat 
bran,  .9  Ib.  wheat  middlings. 

No.  72 — L.  C.  Fisher, 'Cabot,  Vt.  Jerseys;  average  weight, 
900  Ibs. ;  annual  yield  of  butter,  404  Ibs.  Ration— 30  Ibs.  corn 
silage,  10  Ibs.  hay,  4.2  Ibs.  corn- meal,  4.2  Ibs.  bran,  .8  Ib.  lin- 
seed-meal. 

No.  79— C.  P.  Goodrich,  Fort  Atkinson,  Wis.  Grade  Jer^ 
seys;  average  weight,  900  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  5,500 
Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  butter,  320  Ibs.;  percentage  of  fat  in 
milk,  5.25.  Ration — 32  Ibs.  corn  silage,  5  Ibs.  clover  hay,  5 
Ibs.  cornstalks,  8  Ibs.  bran,  2  Ibs.  cotton-seed  meal,  2  Ibs.  oat 
straw. 

No.  85— A.  X.  Hyatt,  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.  Mostly  Short- 
horns; average  weight,  1,200  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  8,000 
Ibs.;  percentage  of  fat  in  milk,  4.1.  Ration — 25  Ibs.  roots,  8 
Ibs.  oatmeal,  3  Ibs.  oil-meal,  15  Ibs.  hay,  10  Ibs.  corn-fodder, 

4  Ibs.  oat  straw. 


56 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


No.  92  —  Herman  Bollert,  Canada.  Holstein-Priesians; 
average  weight,  1,300  Ibs.;  annual  yield  of  milk,  10,000  Ibs. ; 
percentage  of  fat  in  milk,  4.  Ration — 40  Ibs.  corn  silage,  5 
Ibs.  hay,  5  Ibs.  straw,  41  Ibs.  bran,  4J  Ibs.  oats. 

No.  100  —  R.  Robertson,  Howick,  Quebec.  Ayrshires. 
average  weight,  1,000  Ibs/,  annual  yield  of  milk,  8,000  Ibs.; 
annual  yield  of  butter.  360  Ibs.;  percentage  of  fat  in  milk,  4. 
Ration — 40  Ibs.  corn  silage,  7i  Ibs.  clover  hay,  3  Ibs.  straw, 
li  Ibs.  oats,  li  Ibs.  barley,  li  Ibs.  pea- meal,  3  Ibs.  wheat  bran, 
1  Ib.  cotton-seed  meal. 

TABLE  OP  NUTRIENTS  IN  TWENTY-FOUR  RATIONS. 


No. 

Dry 
matter. 

DIGESTIBLE  MATTER. 

Nutritive 
ratio. 

Protein. 

Carbo- 
hydrates. 

Fat. 

Total 

1 

31.09 

2.70 

15.78 

.80 

19.28 

1:  6.5 

5 

25.70 

2.69 

13.96 

.97 

17.62 

1:  6. 

6 

22.09 

2.37 

12.06 

.75 

15.18 

1:  5.8 

11 

26.08 

3.24 

12.94 

1.07 

17.23 

1:  4.7 

14 

24.77 

1.34 

15.01 

.76 

n.n 

1:12.8 

24 

19.09 

1.40 

11.10 

.48 

12.98 

1:  8.7 

29a 

25-50 

2.39 

14.37 

.70 

17.46 

1:  6.7 

296 

28.97 

1.88 

15.47 

.53 

17.88 

1:  8.8 

29c 

26.12 

2.24 

13.65 

.65 

16.54 

1:  6.7 

29c? 

28.86 

2.H 

13.68 

.82 

17.34 

1:  5.5 

34 

19,.  98 

1.81 

11.46 

.66 

13.93 

1:  7.1 

45 

28.65 

2.87 

14.73 

.88 

18.48 

1:  5.8 

46 

29.16 

2.41 

16.98 

.85 

20.24 

1:  7.8 

49 

25.73 

3.50 

14.05 

1.12 

18.67 

1:  4.7 

50 

31.30 

3.37 

16.31 

1.31 

20.99 

1:  5.7 

55 

20.26 

1.53 

10.95 

.63 

13.11 

1:  8.1 

61 

26.52 

2.53 

15.74 

.90 

19.17 

1:  7. 

73 

20.20 

1.64 

11.09 

.48 

13.21 

1:  7.4 

74 

26.06 

1.42 

14.02 

.38 

15.82 

1:10.5 

72 

24.23 

1  86 

14.03 

.75 

16.64 

1:  8.4 

79 

27.24 

2.86 

13.80 

.92 

17.58 

1:  5.5 

85 

26.90 

2.11 

14.43 

.70 

17.24 

1:  7.6 

92 

.19.70 

1.36 

10.60 

.53 

12.49 

1:  8.7 

100 

22.1,6 

2.08 

12.17 

.71 

14.96 

1:  6.6 

The  foregoing  table  gives  the  nutrients  in  the 
twenty-four  rations  selected  from  the  100  in 


FEED    AND    MANAGEMENT.  57 

the  Wisconsin  bulletin.  The  numbers  in  this 
table  correspond  to  the  numbers  in  connection 
with  the  owners'  names  and  name  of  breed, 
and  the  table  is  quite  interesting  to  a  person 
that  wishes  to  study  the  feeding  question. 

Dehorning. — I  have  deliberated  considerably 
about  the  question  of  dehorning.  It  has  been 
so  much  discussed  in  the  agricultural  and  dairy 
papers  that  it  seems  almost  an  old  story,  but  I 
have  decided  to  give  a  little  of  my  experience. 
I  waited  and  read  and  watched  for  several 
years,  dehorning  only  the  ugly  cows,  before  I 
'became  thoroughly  convinced  that  it  was  best 
to  dehorn  my  whole  herd.  I  now  have  no  cat- 
tle with  horns  except  my  registered  Jerseys. 
One  reason  that  I  leave  their  horns  is  to  avoid 
any  possibility  of  getting  them  mixed  with  my 
grades.  I  employed  a  man  to  dehorn  my  cows 
that  had  dehorned  over  five  thousand  head,  and 
he  did  a  good  job  for  me.  It  would  require  an 
expert  to  detect  that  they  ever  had  horns.  He 
did  the  work  with  a  saw  and  cut  a  little  below 
the  skin,  setting  the  saw  to  cut  a  little  circular 
in  direction.  Cutting  below  the  skin  caused 
some  bleeding,  but  he  pulled  out  the  little  blood 
vessels  with  a  pair  of  small* forceps,  which 
made  the  bleeding  cease.  I  think  the  fright 
caused  by  making  the  cows  fast  for  the  opera- 
tion gave  them  more  suffering  than  the  act  of 
removing  the  horns.  As  fast  as  dehorned  they 


58  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

were  turned  into  the  pasture  and  they  went  to 
feeding  in  a  short  time  as  if  nothing  had  hap- 
pened. I  was  very  much  surprised,  and  very 
agreeably  so,  at  the  apparent  indifference  of 
the  cows  to  the  effect  of  the  operation.  It 
caused  a  very  perceptible  change  in  my  cows. 
They  soon  learned  that  they  could  not  injure 
each  other  and  ceased  trying.  With  the  loss  of 
fear  of  each  other  came  a  loss  of  fear  of  their 
attendants,  or  at  least  it  appeared  so  to  me. 
There  was  a  change  in  the  herd  that  was  a 
pleasant  surprise  to  me.  I  say  frankly  that  I 
am  glad  I  had  my  herd  dehorned.  The  shrink- 
age in  milk  was  very  small — no  more  in  fact 
than  I  should  have  expected  from  having  them 
out  of  the  pasture  as  long  as  they  were.  It 
was  very  satisfactory  to  me  in  all  points  and 
caused  me  to  wish  I  had  had  them  dehorned 
earlier. 

I  now  kill  the  horns  of  my  calves  by  the 
use  of  caustic  potash.  This  is  a  very  simple 
matter.  We  cut  the  hair  from  around  the 
horns,  or  where  they  are  to  grow,  and  then  wet 
the  button  and  rub  the  caustic  potash  on  it. 
Get  the  potash  in  sticks  and  wrap  it  in  paper 
or  cloth  to  prevent  its  eating  the  hands.  This 
causes  the  calf  no  more  pain  than  a  blister  of 
the  same  size.  In  fact  that  is  just  what  it  is. 

Effects  of  Exposure. — In  the  winter  of  1892 
the  Indiana.  Experiment  Station  made  a  very 


FEED   AND   MANAGEMENT.  59 

valuable  experiment  to  show  the  effect  of  ex- 
posure on  milch  cows.  I  clip  the  following 
from  that  station's  "Bulletin  No.  47": 

The  following  points  of  importance  are  brought  out  in  the 
bulletin: 

1.  That  cows  exposed  during  the  day  to  the  inclemency  of 
winter  weather  ate  more  food  than  those  given  the  shelter 
of  a  comfortable  barn. 

2.  That  cows  thus  exposed  gave  on  an  average  less  milk 
per  day  than  those  not  so  exposed,  and  much  less  milk  as  a 
total,  during  the  experiment,  which  extended  over  forty- 
eight  days  in  January,  February,  and  March. 

3.  That  the  cows  which  were  exposed  to  the  weather  dur- 
ing this  experiment  lost  in  weight,  while  those  given  barn 
shelter  gained  in  weight. 

4.  That  there  is  a  difference  of  $12.79  in  favor  of  shelter 
for  cows  in  winter. 

Some  of  the  interesting  details  of  this  experi- 
ment are  herewith  quoted: 

Grouped  by  lots  each  lot  ate  the  following  amount  of  food: 

Lot  I—lbs.  Lot  II—lbs. 

Clover  hay  eaten 1996.2  1483.8 

Corn-meal 1239.0  1627.0 

Bran..  ..1168.5  1536.7 


Total 4403.7  4647.5 

Lot  II,  the  exposed  one.,  ate  243.8  Ibs.  more  food  than  lot 
I,  but  less  hay  and  much  more  grain,  consuming  388  Ibs. 
more  of  corn-meal  and  368.2  Ibs.  more  of  bran.  The  differ- 
ence in  the  cost  of  the  total  amounts  of  food  eaten  has  an 
important  bearing  on  the  relationship  of  expense  and  in- 
come. 

The  cost  of  the  food  eaten  is  based  on  current  market 
prices  in  Lafayette  at  the  time  of  the  experiment.  Clover 
hay  is  quoted  at  $8  per  ton,  corn-meal  at  $1  per  100  Ibs., 
and  bran  at  65  cents  per  100  Ibs.  The  cost  of  labor  was 
no  greater  for  lot  I  than  for  lot  II,  if  it  was  as  great,  and  is 
not  included  in  the  discussion  of  the  experiment. 


60  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Amount  and  cost  of  food  consumed: 

Lot  I.        Lot  II. 

1996.2  Ibs.  clover  hay  at  $8  per  ton $7.98 

1239.0  Ibs.  corn-meal  at  $1  per  100  Ibs 12.39 

1168.5  Ibs.  bran  at  65  cents  per  100  Ibs 7.60 

Total  cost $27.97 

1483.8  Ibs.  clover  hay  at  $8  per  ton $5.94 

1627.0  Ibs.  corn-meal  at  $1  per  100  Ibs 16.27 

1536.7  Ibs.  bran  at  65  cents  per  100  ibs 9.99 

Total  cost $32.20 

Balance  in  favor  of  lot  I. .  ..  $4.23 


$32.20          $32.20 

So  far  as  cost  of  food  eaten  is  concerned  the  sheltered  lot 
makes  the  best  showing  by  $4.23.  This  experiment,  how- 
ever, was  undertaken  on  milch  cows  to  note  the  effect  of  the 
conditions  of  keeping  on  the  milk  yield. 

Considering  this  experiment  from  the  financial  standpoint, 
including  cost  of  food  eaten,  weight  of  milk  secured,  and  ani- 
mal weight  lost  or  gained,  we  get  the  following  results  in 
favor  of  the  sheltered  lot: 

Saving  in  cost  of  feed  eaten $4.23 

Value  of  difference  in  milk  secured  (161.1  Ibs.  at  15  cents 

a  gallon) 2.79 

Value  of  231  Ibs.  flesh  gain  at  2$  cents  a  pound 5.77 

Amount  saved  by  sheltering  three  cows  48  days 12.79 

Amount  saved  by  sheltering  one  cow  48  days 4.26 

Prof.  C.  S.  Plumb,  Director  of  the  Indiana 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  who  made 
this  experiment,  offers  the  following  observa- 
tions: 

A  reasonable  amount  of  exercise  should  be  given  farm 
animals,  and  pure  air  ought  to  be  available  at  all  times,  but 
no  animal  should  be  exposed  to  weather  conditions  that  in- 
volve suffering,  neither  ought  farmers  to  expose  stock  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  cause  them  financial  loss.  Beef  cattle 
with  thick,  mellow  hides  and  heavy  coats  of  fine  hair  may  be 
exposed  to  outdoor  conditions  that  would  cause  thin-skinned 


FEED    AND   MANAGEMENT.  61 

milch  cows  to  suffer  and  show  the  injurious  effect  in  the  pail 
and  feed  account.  Dairy  cows  are  more  sensitive  in  temper- 
ament and  require  warmer  winter  quarters  as  a  rule  than  do 
beef  cattle. 


CHAPTER   III. 


CARE  OF  DAIEY  UTENSILS. 

Milk  pails  should  always  be  of  tin.  When 
purchasing  tinware  of  any  kind  have  your 
tinner  solder  around  all  rims  and  open  joints 
where  dirt  can  accumulate.  The  cost  of  this 
will  be  saved  many  times  over  in  the  labor  re- 
quired to  wash  them.  I  never  had  sufficient 
patience  to  fool  away  my  time  trying  to  get 
a  dishcloth  into  every  corner  and  around  the 
rims  and  ears  of  pails  when  I  knew  that  a  few 
cents  spent  at  the  tinshop  would  put  the  tin- 
ware in  such  shape  that  the  dishcloth  would 
reach  all  parts  and  time  did  not  need  to  be 
taken  digging  dirt  out  of  holes  that  need 
not  be. 

Clean  all  utensils  as  soon  as  possible  after 
using  them.  The  longer  they  remain  without 
being  cleaned  the  more  time  will  be  required 
to  do  the  work. 

Washing  tinware. — When  washing  tinware 
about  the  dairy  always  use  first  cool  or  tepid 
water,  as  hot  water  applied  to  milk  vessels 
cooks  the  milk  onto  the  tin  and  gives  them  an 

(62) 


CARE    OF    DAIRY    UTENSILS.  63 

appearance  that  you  will  not  take  pride  in 
showing.  After  they  are  washed  in  tepid  or 
cold  water,  wash  with  hot  water,  then  scald 
with  boiling  water  or  steam  if  it  is  available. 
When  steam  is  used  there  is  no  guesswork 
about  it,  as  it  reaches  all  parts  and  does  thor- 
ough work.  When  hot  water  is  used  there  is 
often  too  much  guesswork  about  the  tempera- 
ture. 

After  the  scalding  the  vessels  should  be  put 
in  the  sun  to  dry  and  air.  When  thoroughly 
scalded  there  is  sufficient  heat  to  cause  the 
dishes  or  vessels  to  dry  without  wiping.  Have 
a  place  for  all  the  tin  and  woodenware  in  the 
sun  for  a  time  after  cleaning  and  scalding  it. 
Never  put  the  covers  on  tin  vessels  after  scald- 
ing them,  neither  will  it  answer  to  put  them  in 
a  position  that  will  prevent  a  circulation  of  air. 
Dead  air  is  far  from  sweet-smelling. 

Churn  arid  worker. — The  churn  and  butter- 
worker  and  all  other  wooden  utensils  should  be 
first  washed  in  hot  water,  then  scalded  with 
boiling  water  or  steam.  Wooden  utensils  must 
not  be  left  in  the  sun  long  enough  to  cause 
them  to  warp  or  crack. 

Preparing  wooden  utensils. — Before  using 
the  churn  and  all  other  woodenware  it  should 
be  scalded  and  then  thoroughly  cooled.  Scald- 
ing wooden  utensils  and  then  thoroughly  cool- 
ing with  cold  water  will  prevent  the  butter 


64  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

sticking  to  them.  When  the  butter  sticks  to  a 
wooden  vessel  or  utensil  it  is  positive  proof 
that  it  has  not  been  properly  prepared  before 
using,  and  the  only  way  is  to  do  the  work  over 
in  a  proper  manner. 

Return  milk  in  barrels. — Great  care  is  nec- 
essary in  cleansing  cans  that  are  used  in  draw- 
ing milk  to  a  creamery,  especially  if  skim-milk 
or  whey  is  returned  in  them.  The  best  way  is 
to  take  the  milk  back  to  the  farm  in  barrels 
and  have  the  cans  washed  at  the  creamery  be- 
fore being  returned  to  the  patrons. 

But  in  many  cases  this  is  not  practicable,  as 
the  milk  comes  in  loads  and  the  skim-milk 
must  go  back  in  the  cans,  if  it  is  taken,  which 
it  surely  should  be.  These  cans  should  be 
treated  as  any  other  milk  vessel,  but  more  care 
is  necessary,  as  in  many  cases  the  milk  has  be- 
come sour  before  reaching  home  and  adheres 
to  the  can.  A  brush  is  an  excellent  tool  to  use 
for  this  work,  as  it  will  get  at  the  corners  much 
better  than  a  dishcloth.  Lack  of  care  in  this 
line  soon  gives  foul  cans  and  bad  milk.  All 
milk  vessels  must  be  kept  sweet  and  clean  or 
there  will  be  serious  trouble  in  a  very  short 
time. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


MILKING. 

Milking  is  a  trade.  Comparatively  few  dairy- 
men realize  the  importance  of  it,  or  the  neces- 
sity for  kindness,  neatness,  system  and  regu- 
larity and  of  securing  all  of  the  milk. 

The  cow  must  be  kindly  treated  at  all  times 
and  in  all  places.  It  will  not  answer  to  bring 
her  from  pasture  on  a  run  with  a  dog  behind 
her,  and  if  she  in  her  excitement  gets  into  the 
wrong  stall  don't  put  her  out  with  a  blow  from 
a  whip  or  the  boot.  The  owner  pays  for  this 
immediately  in  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the 
milk  from  the  next  milking.  Any  person  who 
doubts  this  should  use  a  scale  and  the  Babcock 
test  and  satisfy  himself.  The  cows  should  not 
fear  the  person  who  cares  for  them.  There  is 
a  chance  for  the  person  to  improve  so  long  as 
this  is  the  case.  The  feeling  between  the  cows 
and  the  person  who  cares  for  and  milks  them 
should  be  such  that  when  such  person  goes 
among  them  either  in  the  barn  or  in  the  yard 
or  pasture  the  cows  will  not  only  not  care  to 
move  away  from  the  person  but  will  actually 


66  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

appear  to  enjoy  the  company  of  the  one  who 
cares  for  them.  When  this  is  the  situation 
there  need  be  no  fear  so  far  as  kindness  is  con- 
cerned. 

Cleanliness. — The  cows  must  be  kept  clean  in 
the  stable  and  also  out  of  it,  so  far  as  is  prac- 
tical, but  there  are  times  in  wet  seasons  that 
it  is  impractical  in  some  pastures  to  prevent 
the  cows  getting  their  teats  and  udders  muddy. 
When  this  is  the  case  they  should  be  washed 
when  put  into  the  stable.  This  is  the  best  way 
I  have  found  to  remove  the  mud  or  filth,  which 
must  be  done  before  milking.  My  practice  was 
to  furnish  each  milker  a  pail  for  water  and  re- 
quire them  to  wash  their  cows'  udders  before 
commencing  to  milk  if  they  needed  to  be 
washed.  By  the  time  the  milker  was  through 
washing  the  first  washed  would  be  dry  and 
ready  to  milk.  This  is  the  quickest  and  best 
way  I  have  found  to  accomplish  this  object. 

Regularity. — Each  cow  should  have  her  reg- 
ular stall,  be  milked  by  the  same  milker,  and 
at  regular  hours,  night  and  morning.  It  pays 
just  as  well  to  systematize  with  the  cows  as  it 
does  in  any  business.  A  business  man  that  is 
irregular  about  his  business  loses  by  it.  We 
can  all  call  to  mind  instances  to  prove  this,  and 
it  is  just  as  true  and  more  with  the  cows,  as  the 
business  man  may  not  lose  every  time  he  fails 
to  open  his  store  until  an  hour  late,  but  every 


MILKING.  67 

time  the  cows  are  milked  an  hour  late  or  early 
there  is  sure  to  be  a  loss. 

There  must  be  regularity  in  feeding,  water- 
ing, salting,  and  in  all  work  connected  with  the 
cow.  Never  allow  promiscuous  milking.  It  is 
best  to  milk  in  the  stable  in  winter  and  sum- 
mer. The  milkers  will  suffer  no  more  from 
heat  there  than  in  the  yard  if  the  stable  is 
properly  ventilated  and  they  commence  at  the 
right  end  of  their  row  of  cows,  so  the  animals 
can  be  turned  out  as  fast  as  milked.  There 
will  then  be  no  cow  back  of  them  to  help  give 
them  a  sweat. 

Cause  for  kicking. — A  cow  never  kicks  with- 
out cause.  She  is  either  hurt  or  frightened 
when  she  kicks.  An  instance  comes  to  my 
mind  now  that  illustrates  this  point.  Several 
years  ago,  when  living  on  my  farm,  I  was  one 
day  in  De  Kalb  and  the  Mayor  spoke  to  me 
about  his  cow.  He  had  an  excellent  one  and 
had  talked  with  me  about  her  frequently  be- 
fore. At  this  particular  time  he  was  in  trouble 
with  her.  He  said  she  had  contracted  a  habit 
of  kicking  and  he  could  do  nothing  with  her 
and  thought  he  would  be  compelled  to  sell  her. 
I  told  him  there  must  be  a  cause,  but  he  said 
he  could  find  none.  I  insisted  there  must  be 
some  good  cause  for  it  and  it  should  be  dis- 
covered, and  talked  with  him  for  some  time 
about  his  cow  and  her  surroundings.  I  asked 


68  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

him  if  her  teats  were  not  chapped,  and  he  said 
not.  I  told  him  to  get  some  linseed  oil  and 
apply  a  little  after  milking  to  her  teats.  He 
did  so,  and  the  next  time  I  saw  him  he  told  me 
his  cow  was  all  right.  The  oil  had  performed 
a  cure  and  helped  him  to  discover  what  the 
cause  of  the  trouble  was.  This  was  during 
August  when  the  flies  were  troublesome,  and 
the  cow  to  get  rid  of  the  flies  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  getting  into  a  pond  of  water  in  the 
pasture,  where  she  kept  her  teats  wet  fighting 
the  flies,  and  caused  them  to  chap,  but  not 
enough  so  the  owner  who  milked  her  had  dis- 
covered it  until  they  commenced  to  heal,  when 
he  discovered  the  trouble. 

When  you  have  a  kicking  cow  study  the  case 
and  learn  the  cause,  and  if  you  cannot  learn 
and  remove  the  cause  you  should  remove  the 
cow,  as  a  kicking  cow  is  too  severe  a  test  on  the 
milker's  patience  and  the  effect  is  not  good  in 
the  stable,  as  it  affects  the  whole  surrounding 
atmosphere. 

Effect  of  disturbances. — When  I  first  began 
to  apply  the  Babcock  test  to  separate  herds  and 
individual  cows  I  had  some  experience  that  was 
surprising  and  instructive.  I  have  traced  a  low 
daily  test  of  herd  milk  to  the  cattle  breaking 
out  of  their  pasture  and  being  chased  by  men 
on  horseback  until  they  were  excited  and  wor- 
ried. 


MILKING.  69 

Cows  need  special  care.— There  is  no  farm 
animal  that  needs  more  care  than  the  cow.  It 
will  not  answer  to  give  her  the  same  treatment 
that  you  do  a  fat  steer.  She  is  much  more  sen- 
sitive to  cold,  as  she  has  not  (if  she  is  a  dairy 
cow)  an  inch  or  two  of  fat  all  over  her  body  to 
protect  her  vitals  from  the  cold.  The  steer 
will  be  comfortable  in  a  well-bedded  dry  shed 
in  cold  weather,  when  the  cow  would  suffer  and 
her  flow  of  milk  decrease.  It  does  me  good  to 
visit  a  herd  of  cows  and  see  the  herdsman  go 
among  them  with  a  kind  word  and  the  cows 
approach  him  as  though  they  had  an  affection 
for  him.  On  the  other  hand  when  I  see  a  herds- 
man go  among  the  cows  with  a  loud  voice  and 
every  cow  begins  to  get  away  from  him  I  think 
that  man  is  out  of  place,  and  he  should  be  put 
to  some  work  that  he  is  fitted  to  do — if  it  can 
be  discovered  what  that  is. 

Difference  in  milkers. — There  is  a  great 
difference  in  milkers.  This  many  dairymen 
have  learned  and  many  more  have  not,  judg- 
ing from  the  way  they  act.  I  have  had  some 
milkers  that  would  get  enough  more  from 
fifteen  cows  in  one  year  than  other  milkers  I 
had  at  the  same  time  to  pay  their  salaries  for 
the  year.  Perhaps  some  may  not  believe  this, 
but  it  is  not  guesswork.  It  is  a  matter  of  cal- 
culation after  weighing  the  milk  from  the  vari- 
ous milkers'  cows  periodically  for  a  term  of 


70  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

months.  The  difference  in  milkers  in  this  re- 
spect is  surprising.  There  are  many  milkers 
whom  the  owner  of  the  cows  cannot  afford  to 
have  in  his  employ  at  any  price. 

I  test  all  my  cows  periodically,  and  at  the 
same  time  I  test  the  milkers.  This  takes  no 
extra  time,  only  in  the  matter  of  looking  it  up, 
as  each  milker  has  his  regular  cows  to  milk, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  season  it  can  very  readily 
be  calculated  how  each  milker  has  made  his 
cows  "hold  out"  (as  we  term  it)  with  their 
milk.  The  following  figures  are  from  my 
books  having  the  record  of  the  work  done  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1892-'93: 

Milker  No.  1,  Dec.  17,  1892,  cows  gave  356 
Ibs.;  Feb.  28,  1893,  258  Ibs. 

Milker  No.  2,  Dec.  17,  1892,  cows  gave  298 
Ibs.;  Feb.  28,  1893,  244  Ibs. 

Milker  No.  3,  Dec.  17,  1892,  cows  gave  304 
Ibs.;  Feb.  28,  1893,  204  Ibs. 

During  this  time  the  cows  of  No.  1  shrank 
98  Ibs.,  No  2's  cows  shrank  54  Ibs.,  and  No.  3's 
cows  100  Ibs.  The  per  cent  of  shrinkage  was: 
No.  1,  27  per  cent;  No.  2,  18  per  cent;  No.  3, 
32  per  cent.  The  shrinkage  per  cow  from  Dec. 
17  to  Feb.  28  was  for  No.  1,  7  Ibs.;  No.  2,  5  Ibs., 
and  No.  3,  9|  Ibs. 

The  milkers  in  the  future  will  have  their  rec- 
ord and  will  secure  employment  on  it.  It  will 


MILKING.  71 

require  time  for  this  plan  to  work  its  way  to  the 
front,  but  it  is  sure  to  develop. 

Milking  for  prizes.— After  studying  over 
this  milking  question  for  two  years  trying  to 
devise  some  plan  by  which  I  could  interest  my 
milkers  in  their  work,  thereby  securing  better 
service,  I  decided  to  offer  prizes  to  be  competed 
for.  I  have  five  milkers  and  I  offered  three 
prizes  to  be  awarded  on  the  percentage  of 
shrinkage  for  a  term  of  months.  The  first 
prize  was  $10,  the  second  $5  and  the  third 
$2.50.  My  milkers  were  greatly  interested  in 
this  work  during  the  whole  time  of  the  con- 
test and  the  results  showed  careful  work. 

One  milker  who  milked  12  cows  had  a  varia- 
tion from  highest  to  lowest  daily  weight  of  7 
Ibs.  during  a  week.  Another  milker  who  had 
14  cows  to  milk  had  as  low  a  variation  as  7^ 
Ibs.  in  the  daily  milk  of  his  cows  in  a  week. 
My  total  milk,  which  reached  1,850  Ibs.  daily, 
varied  less  than  some  of  the  patrons  who  had 
250  to  300  Ibs.  daily.  This  was  the  result  of 
careful,  systematic  work  and  work  that  pays. 
The  young  man  who  won  the  first  prize  had  a 
shrinkage  of  1.85  Ibs.  per  cow  in  three  months. 
The  winner  of  the  second  prize  made  a  shrink- 
age of  2  Ibs.  per  cow,  and  the  third  prize  win- 
ner made  a  shrinkage  of  2.6  Ibs.  per  cow  for 
the  three  months.  These  shrinkages  figured  to 
percentages  are  as  follows:  First  prize,  .074; 


72  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

second  prize,  .089,  and  third  prize,  .095.  This 
work,  when  compared  with  the  work  of  the 
previous  winter  for  the  same  months  and  under 
the  same  conditions  as  nearly  as  possible,  is  in- 
teresting to  say  the  least,  Some  of  the  work 
of  the  previous  winters  was  alarming,  though 
it  was  doubtless  as  good  as  the  average  milk- 
ing. I  have  the  record  of  one  milker  for  three 
months  in  1892  and  1893,  also  in  1893  and  1894. 
In  the  first  winter  his  percentage  of  shrinkage 
for  the  three  months  was  27^  per  cent,  and  the 
following  winter  when  competing  for  a  prize 
his  shrinkage  was  9^  per  cent  for  the  same 
months.  When  not  competing  for  a  prize  his 
shrinkage  was  7  Ibs.  per  cow  in  three  months; 
when  competing  it  was  2.6  Ibs. — a  difference  of 
4.4  Ibs. 

The  difference  between  the  poorest  work  of 
the  winters  of  1892  and  1893  and  the  best  work 
of  1893  and  1894  rolls  up  in  a  way  to  frighten 
me  and  make  me  doubt  my  own  figures.  The 
poorest  work  shows  a  shrinkage  of  9^  Ibs.  per 
cow  in  three  months,  and  the  best  work  shows 
a  shrinkage  of  1.88  Ibs.  per  cow  for  the  same 
length  of  time.  This  difference  is  7.62  Ibs.  per 
cow  daily.  I  think  it  fair  to  suppose  that  the 
average  difference  of  shrinkage  for  the  three 
months  would  be  one-half  as  much  as  it  was  at 
the  end  of  the  three  months.  This  would  be 
3.81  Ibs.  per  day  for  the  90  days,  or  343  Ibs. 


.  MILKING.  73 

Now  we  will  suppose  the  shrinkage  after  the 
three  months  is  the  same  in  both  cases,  and  we 
have  200  days  at  7.62  Ibs.,  or  1,524  Ibs.  +  343 
lbs.=l,S67  Ibs.  per  cow,  and  for  fifteen  cows 
28,005  Ibs.  of  milk,  which  valued  at  $1  per  100 
Ibs.  would  amount  to  $280.05.  I  do  not  think 
this  comparison  is  an  exaggeration.  I  have 
supposed  that  the  shrinkage  in  both  cases  was 
alike  after  the  three  months,  which  is  not  fair 
to  the  best  milker,  as  it  is  more  than  probable 
that  the  shrinkage  of  the  poor  milker  kept  on 
increasing  over  the  good  milker  and  that  his 
cows  were  dried  a  month  earlier  than  were  the 
cows  of  the  good  milker. 

I  had  a  plain  talk  with  my  milkers  when  the 
prize  work  commenced,  telling  them  of  the 
need  of  kindness,  care  and  regularity  of  time 
in  milking;  also  the  necessity  of  securing  all  of 
the  milk.  I  told  them  that  if  at  any  time  the 
totals  of  milk  at  the  barn  and  the  creamery 
did  not  agree  each  milker  would  be  furnished 
with  separate  cans  and  would  be  expected  to 
make  his  milk  at  the  barn  and  creamery  com- 
pare, and  that  if  at  any  time  I  learned  of  any 
man's  unfair  work  to  get  an  advantage  I  should 
exclude  him  from  the  competition.  I  am  now 
pleased  to  be  able  to  say  that  nothing  of  the 
kind  was  discovered. 

How  to  milk. — The  milkers  should  do  their 
talking  before  they  begin  to  milk  and  then  at- 


74  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

tend  strictly  to  their  milking,  doing  the  work 
as  fast  as  they  practically  can,  being  careful 
not  to  hurt  the  cow  in  any  way  and  particular 
to  milk  the  cows  clean.  If  the  cow  is  not 
milked  clean  the  richest  part  of  the  milk  is 
left,  and  this  kind  of  milking  will  cause  the 
cow  to  shrink  her  milk.  This  point  must  be 
looked  after  carefully. 

Always  milk  with  dry  hands.  Do  not  dip 
your  fingers  in  the  milk  or  allow  it  to  be  done. 
A  person  can  milk  better  with  dry  hands  as 
soon  as  he  becomes  accustomed  to  doing  so.  I 
was  taught  to  milk  with  wet  hands  but  broke 
myself  of  the  bad  habit.  Dipping  the  fingers 
in  the  milk  or  froth  is  an  uncleanly  habit. 
Don't  do  it. 

The  writer  has  milked  fifteen  to  twenty  cows 
regularly  for  months  together,  and  once  milked 
thirty-five  cows  for  several  days,  the  cause  be- 
ing a  strike  of  milkers.  The  whole  bunch  of 
strikers  got  left  and  I  got  better  ones  as  fast  as 
I  found  them. 

Experiment  station  work. — The  Wisconsin 
Station  (Report  1889,  page  44)  reported  experi- 
ments on  the  effect  of  change  of  milker,  rapid- 
ity of  milking,  manner  of  milking,  milking 
tubes  vs.  hand-milking,  and  milking  one  teat 
at  a  time.  Differences  were  noticed  between 
good  milkers  which  were  attributed  to  the 
manner  of  milking,  since  the  cows  were  all 


MILKING.  75 

milked  dry.  The  greatest  effect  was  always 
noticed  at  the  first  milking  after  a  change  of 
milker,  and  with  some  cows  this  was  more 
marked  than  with  others. 

In  comparison  of  milking  fast  and  slow,  cows 
were  milked  in  from  three  to  four  minutes  and 
in  double  that  time.  The  yield  of  milk  seemed 
to  be  little  affected,  but  in  every  case  richer 
milk  was  given  when  the  cows  were  milked 
fast,  and  this  was  most  marked  with  cows  giv- 
ing the  most  milk.  On  an  average  from  the 
whole  lot  of  cows  there  was  a  gain  of  11.73  per 
cent  in  the  total  yield  of  fat  from  fast  milking. 
This  difference  in  quality,  however,  seemed  to 
decrease  gradually,  though  not  to  disappear 
altogether. 

When  cows  were  milked  one  teat  at  a  time 
there  was  a  decided  difference  in  the  composi- 
tion of  the  milk  from  the  different  teats.  The 
milk  richest  in  fat  was  invariably  obtained 
from  the  teat  milked  second,  that  milked  first 
coming  next  in  richness,  that  milked  third  fol- 
lowing, and  that  milked  fourth  the  poorest.  If 
the  order  in  which  the  teats  were  milked  was 
changed,  the  order  of  richness  also  changed  so 
as  to  conform  to  the  above  rule,  indicating  that 
the  richness  of  the  milk  from  separate  teats 
was  due  to  the  order  of  milking  rather  than  to 
any  characteristic  differences  in  the  parts  of 
the  udder.  With  this  manner  of  milking  the 


76  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

average  percentage  of  fat  in  the  milk  from  all 
four  teats  was  considerably  below  that  with 
ordinary  milking. 

Comparisons  of  milking  by  hand  and  with 
tubes  were,  as  a  rule,  unfavorable  to  the  milk- 
ing tubes.  On  the  whole  the  yield  was  slightly 
less  with  tubes  than  with  hand  milking  and  the 
quality  of  the  milk  was  poorer,  although  there 
were  individual  exceptions  to  this  rule.  The 
average  for  the  eight  cows  tested  showed  a 
total  less  with  tubes  of  6.5  Ibs.  of  milk  and 
2.718  Ibs.  of  fat  per  day. 

As  to  the  frequency  of  milking,  tests  made  at 
the  New  Hampshire  Station  of  milking  hourly 
and  at  the  Vermont  Station  of  milking  two  and 
three  times  a  clay,  indicated  that  while  there 
was  a  gain  in  some  cases  from  frequent  milk- 
ing this  was  only  temporary  and  was  not  ap- 
parent after  two  or  three  days.  There  was 
often  a  decrease  in  both  yield  and  composition 
when  frequent  milking  was  continued.  The 
Vermont  Station  found  that  in  these  fluctua- 
tions of  quality  the  fat  only  was  affected,  the 
casein,  sugar  and  ash  remaining  practically 
constant. 

Quality  of  first  and  last  milk  drawn. — The 
''Handbook  of  Experiment  Station  Work,"  pub- 
lished by  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture,  gives  the  results  of  many  interest- 
ing and  instructive  experiments  in  milking 


MILKING.  77 

made  by  the  different  experiment  stations.  It 
is  stated  that  the  milk  from  the  first  portion  of 
any  single  milking  is  relatively  poor  and  in- 
creases in  richness  to  the  strippings,  which  are 
relatively  very  rich.  Thus  the  New  York  Sta- 
tion found  that  in  the  case  of  five  cows  the 
first  pint  of  milk  contained  only  .3  per  cent  of 
fat  while  the  last  pint  contained  6.85  per  cent 
and  the  mixed  milk  from  the  whole  milking 
averaged  2.55  per  cent.  In  every  instance  the 
first  half  contained  only  from  one-third  to  one- 
half  as  much  fat  as  the  last  half.  Similar  re- 
sults are  reported  in  Connecticut,  also  in  Indi- 
ana and  New  Hampshire. 

Daily  variation. — The  milk  of  the  same  cow 
differs  both  in  composition  and  in  yield  from 
day  to  day.  Babcock  states  that  yield  may 
vary  by  15  per  cent  and  the  amount  of  fat  by 
as  much  as  50  per  cent. 

Four  cows  tested  at  the  Wisconsin  Station 
(Report  1889,  page  42)  showed  an  average  daily 
variation  of  from  1.18  to  1.8  Ibs.  of  milk;  and 
the  yield  of  fat  per  day  fluctuated  about  8  per 
cent.  In  connection  with  this  work  Dr.  Bab- 
cock  says  (Wisconsin  Report  1889,  page  43): 

Our  experimental  work  during  the  past  year  has  directed 
attention  especially  to  these  variations  and  has  served  to  in- 
dicate some  causes  for  them  which  have  not  been  given 
much  prominence  by  writers  upon  dairy  matters.  It  is  gen- 
erally considered  when  the  farmer  has  supplied  a  sufficient 
amount  of  proper  food  and  has  provided  good  shelter  and 


78  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

care  for  his  cows,  that  he  has  done  all  that  it  is  possible  for 
him  to  do  in  order  to  secure  *an  abundant  yield  of  rich  milk 
and  the  cow  is  usually  held  responsible  for  any  failure. 

All  of  these  conditions  are  of  course  essential  for  the  best 
results,  but  the  immediate  conditions  under  which  the  milk- 
ing is  done  appear  to  have  almost  as  much  influence  upon  the 
yield  and  quality  of  milk  as  any  other  factor.  The  manner 
of  milking,  the  frequency  with  which  it  is  done  and  the  time 
occupied  in  doing  it  may,  I  believe,  have  more  influence  with 
many  cows  upon  the  yield  and  quality  of  milk  than  the  kind 
of  food,  so  long  as  sufficient  food  is  supplied. 

All  of  our  experimental  work  indicates  that  temporary 
conditions  existing  only  at  the  time  of  milking  may  very 
materially  affect  both  the  yield  and  quality  of  the  milk  pro- 
duced. This  can  be  most  easily  explained  by  assuming  that 
the  milk  glands  are  most  active  at  this  time  and  that  the 
quality  of  the  secretion  depends  on  this  activity.  It  seems 
probable  that  the  action  of  the  milk  glands  is  greatly  modi- 
fied by  the  nervous  condition  of  the  animal  at  the  time  of 
milking  as  well  as  by  the  stimulus  derived  from  manipula- 
tion of  the  teats  and  udder. 

This  experiment  also  brought  out  the  fact  that  the  man- 
ner of  milking  also  affects  the  composition  of  the  milk.  It 
was  found  that  cows  which  ordinarily  gave  milk  with  4  and 
5  per  cent  of  fat  respectively,  gave  milk  with  only  2.7  and 
3.92  per  cent  respectively  when  milked  one  teat  at  a  time. 
The  milk  was  richer  in  fat  when  milked  rapidly  (three  to 
four  minutes)  than  when  milked  slowly  (double  that  time), 
though  the  yield  seemed  not  to  be  affected,  the  fat  being  as 
a  general  rule  more  sensitive  to  such  changes  than  the  other- 
ingredients  or  the  total  yield  of  milk. 

Morning's  and  night's  milk. — There  is  at 
times  a  marked  difference  in  the  per  cent  of  fat 
contained  in  the  morning's  and  night's  milk. 
Some  dairy  writers  have  claimed  that  one  was 
the  richest  in  fat  and  some  that  the  other  was. 
My  experience  in  testing  my  own  herd,  also  in 


MILKING.  79 

doing  "detective"  work  at  our  creameries,  has 
convinced  me  that  the  time  between  milkings 
is  the  greatest  cause  of  this  difference.  I  know 
that  some  farmers  have  been  suspected  of  being 
dishonest  with  their  milk  when  in  fact  they 
were  the  reverse  of  it.  Being  hard-working 
men  and  up  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  milk 
and  making  long  days  in  the  field  caused  the 
milking  to  be  done  as  late  as  8  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  thus  making  the  time  from  morning 
to  night's  milking  sixteen  hours,  and  the  time 
from  night's  to  morning's  milking  eight  hours. 
When  these  conditions  exist  the  morning's 
milk  will  contain  the  largest  per  cent  of  fat. 
In  extreme  cases  the  night's  milk  will  be  so 
much  poorer  in  fat  than  the  morning's  that  it 
is  pretty  strong  circumstantial  evidence  that 
there  is  something  wrong  about  the  night's 
milk,  or  at  least  that  was  the  fact  before  the 
introduction  of  the  Babcock  test.  Now  we 
have  light  on  this  subject  and  many  others. 

At  the  Mississippi  Station  ("Bulletin  13")  it 
was  found  that  when  cows  were  milked  at  be- 
tween 5:30  and  7  in  the  morning  and  between 
3:30  and  5  in  the  afternoon  it  required  on  an 
average  18.1  Ibs.  of  the  morning's  milk  and  13.5 
Ibs.  of  the  night's  milk  to  make  a  pound  of 
butter.  In  this  case  the  hours  of  milking  made 
the  time  from  morning  to  night  ten  hours  and 
the  time  from  night  to  morning  fourteen  hours, 


80  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Here  the  difference  in  time  (14— 10=4-f-lO=.4) 
was  .4  per  cent  and  the  difference  in  the  pounds 
of  milk  (18.1— 13.5— 4.6-=-13.5=.34)  required  to 
make  a  pound  of  butter  was  .34  per  cent. 

The  facts  brought  out  by  the  work  of  our  ex- 
periment stations  on  milking  should  cause 
dairymen  who  are  not  giving  thought  to  this 
question  to  commence  thinking  seriously  and 
immediately.  Who  can  tell  us  how  many  cows 
that  are  now  unprofitable  could  be  made  profit- 
able by  a  change  of  milkers  or  by  more  intelli- 
gent work  without  a  change? 


CHAPTER  V. 


MILK  FROM  COW  TO  CREAM  VAT. 

As  soon  as  a 
cow  is  milked 
strain  the  milk 
through  a  wire 
strainer  into  a  can 
which  is  to  be 
used  to  convey 
the  milk  to  the 
milk-house  or  the 
room  where  it  is 
to  be  set  to  raise 
the  cream  or  put 
through  the  sepa- 
rator to  separate 
the  cream.  There  COMMON  T™  MILK  PAIL. 

it  should  be  strained  through  a  cloth  strainer. 

Flannel  strainers.— When  I  made  butter  at 
my  farm  I  used  woolen  strainers  for  this  pur- 
pose. They  do  thorough  work,  but  require  con- 
siderable care  to  prevent  their  thickening  or 
fulling  so  the  milk  will  not  run  through  them. 
Cotton  strainers  will  do  more  thorough  work 

6  (81) 


82  AMERICAN .  DAIRYING. 

than  a  wire  strainer,  and  I  prefer  them  in  the 
milk-room.    When  the  shallow-pan  system  is 


IRON-CLAD  TIN  MILK  PAIL. 


used  the  milk  should  be  set  as  fast  as  is  prac- 
ticable after  it  is  strained,  as  the  cream  rises 
the  fastest  while  the  milk  is  cooling  and  the 


CURTIS  WIHB-CLOTH  STRAINER. 

sooner  set  after  milking  the  more  benefit  we 
get  from  the  cooling  process. 


MILK   FROM   COW   TO   CREAM   VAT.  83 

Temperature  of  room.— The  temperature  of 
the  room  in  which  the  milk  is  set  should  be  60 
to  65  deg.,  so  that  the  milk  shall  be  sour  but 
not  thickened,  except  at  the  bottom  of  the  pans, 
when  it  is  to  be  skimmed.  I  believe  the  most 
thorough  creaming  is  secured  when  the  milk 
sets  36  hours  to  reach  this  proper  stage  for 
skimming.  I  have  sometimes  in  the  winter 
time  allowed  it  to  set  48  hours,  and  warmed 
the  milk  at  the  end  of  12  hours  and  warmed 
the  second  time  at  the  end  of  24  hours. 

Repeated  cooling  gives  thorough  creaming. 
In  this  way  we  repeat  the  cooling  process  and 
secure  very  thorough  creaming — the  most  per- 
fect of  any  plan  except  the  centrifugal  sepa- 
rator. I  used  large  shallow  pans  holding  500 
Ibs.  of  milk,  and  these  pans  were  surrounded 
by  a  water  pan  for  heating  and  cooling  the 
milk.  This  plan  of  heating  and  cooling  gave 
the  richest  cream  I  have  ever  seen.  I  practiced 
cutting  the  cream  into  squares  with  a  knife  and 
picked  them  up  with  a  tin  ladle,  as  pancakes 
would  be  taken  up.  I  remember  some  in- 
stances when  it  would  not  pour  out  of  a  can 
8  inches  in  diameter  when  I  put  it  into  the 
churn.  Such  cream  cannot  be  churned  until 
reduced  with  skim-milk  or  water. 

The  advantage  that  comes  from  such  a  qual- 
ity of  cream  is  the  thorough  creaming  that  is 
secured.  I  have  not  found  it  practicable  to 


84 


AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 


treat  the  milk  in  this  way  in  the  summer 
months.  Such  cream  as  this  is  ripe  and  ready 
to  churn  when  taken  from  the  milk;  but  it  can 
be  held  two  or  three  days  with  safety  if  kept  at 
a  low  temperature.  It  contains  but  a  small 
per  cent  of  milk,  and  for  that  reason  does  not 
sour  or  ripen  so  fast  as  cream 
that  has  a  larger  per  cent  of 
milk  in  it. 

When  milk  is  set  in  small 
shallow  pans  it  can  be  treated 
to  this  heating  and  cooling  pro- 
cess by  placing  the  pans  into  a 
vessel  of  hot  water  or  over  boil- 
ing water  and  heat  with  steam. 
When  this  is  practiced  the  tem- 
perature of  the  milk-room  must 
be  held  down  as  low  as  40  deg. 
Fah.,  if  possible,  or  the  milk  will 
sour  too  soon.  My  practice  was 
to  open  the  windows  and  get 
the  temperature  down  near  the 
freezing  point  until  the  milk  was  cooled. 

Do  not  skim  the  milk  until  it  is  ready  to  be 
skimmed.  Thin  cream  cannot  be  taken  off 
from  shallow  pans  without  considerable  loss. 
It  should  stand  until  the  cream  thickens  and 
the  temperature  of  the  room  should  be  such  as 
to  cause  it  to  thicken  before  it  is  old  enough 
to  suffer  in  flavor.  Observation  and  experience 


DEEP-SETTING  CAN. 


MILK  FROM   COW   TO   CREAM   VAT.  85 

teach  a  person  about  these  matters.  It  is  also 
important  that  milk  should  be  skimmed  as  soon 
as  it  is  ready ;  if  not,  there  is  danger  of  loss  in 
the  flavor. 

Submerged  plan. — If  the  submerged  or  deep, 
cold  system  is  used  for  cream-raising  the  milk 
should  be  set  as  soon  as  practicable  after  it  is 


THE  COOLEY  CREAMEB. 

milked  and  strained.  The  sooner  it  is  set  and 
the  colder  the  water  it  is  set  in  the  better  the 
results.  The  warming  and  cooling  process  can 
be  used  to  advantage  with  this  system.  Cream 
rises  fastest  while  the  milk  is  cooling,  and  if 
we  can  repeat  the  cooling  process  we  accom- 
plish more  efficient  work. 
There  is  a  variety  of  opinions  as  to  the  neces- 


00  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

sary  time  for  milk  to  set  to  secure  the  best 
results  by  the  deep,  cold-setting  system.  My 
experience  is  that  a  larger  yield  of  butter  is 
secured  when  it  is  held  24  hours  in  ice  water 
than  when  held  12  hours,  and  if  held  in  water 
at  60  deg.  Fah.  it  is  best  to  let  it  set  36  hours, 
and  in  some  cases  48  hours. 

The  breed  and  period  of  lactation  have  much 
influence  on  the  cream  raising.    The  cream 


METHOD  OF  SKIMMING  MILK  FROM  COOLEY  CANS. 


globules  are  larger  in  the  milk  of  some  breeds 
than  others,  and  this  fact  must  be  taken  into 
account  in  the  gravity  methods  of  cream-rais- 
ing. The  milk  of  all  cows  creams  more  readily 
when  they  are  fresh  than  when  they  are  ad- 
vanced in  the  period  of  lactation.  This  will 
apply  to  all  methods  of  creaming,  whether 
the  shallow  pan,  the  deep,  cold  system,  or  the 
separator,  although  the  separator  will  secure  a 


MILK   FROM   COW   TO   CREAM   VAT.  87 

larger  increase  of  butter  over  the  gravity  meth- 
ods when  we  have  a  hard-skimming  milk  than 
when  we  have  a  milk  that  creams  readily.  The 
conditions  must  be  the  most  favorable  to  secure 
thorough  creaming  with  the  gravity  methods, 
but  the  separator  can  be  adjusted  to  get  prac- 
tically all  the  cream  from  any  and  all  milk. 

Care  in  skimming. — The  skimming  of  the 
Cooley  and  "shot-gun"  deep-setting  cans  is  very 
different.  In  the  Cooley  can  the  skim-milk  is 
drawn  from  the  bottom  and  the  cream  is  not 
disturbed  except  as  it  settles  as  the  milk  is 
drawn  out  of  the  can,  but  with  the  "shot-gun" 


CONE  SKIMMER,  FOR  USE  WITH  DEEP  CAN 

can  the  cream  is  taken  off  the  top  with  a  con- 
ical dipper  and  great  care  is  necessary  to  avoid 
mixing  the  cream  and  milk  during  the  process 
of  skimming. 

Experimental  work  in  creaming. — The  ex- 
periment stations  of  the  United  States  have 
done  much  valuable  work  in  this  line.  At  the 
New  York  State  Station  a  comparison  of  sub- 
merging milk  in  cans  in  spring  water  at  56  deg. 
Fah.  and  in  ice  water  gave  three-fourths  of  a 
pound  more  butter  per  100  Ibs.  of  milk  from 
the  use  of  ice. 

The  Wisconsin  Station  (Report  1884,  page  17) 


88  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

found  that  the  loss  by  setting  in  water  at  55 
deg.  might  be  nearly  a  third  larger  than  at  45 
deg.  and  a  tenth  larger  than  at  50  deg. 

Snyder  (Minnesota  "Bulletin  19")  found  that 
creaming  was  more  rapid  and  more  complete 
in  ice  water  than  in  water  at  60  deg. 

Jordan  at  the  Maine  Station  found  that  the 
creaming  was  more  complete  at  a  temperature 
below  45  deg.  than  at  a  temperature  higher. 

At  the  New  York  State  Station  (Report  1889, 
page  210,)  12  hours  setting  in  ice  water  was 
found  insufficient  and  24  hours  adopted. 

Centrifugal  separators.— When  a  centrifugal 
separator  is  to  be  used  I  would  recommend  that 
some  power  be  applied,  either  water,  steam,  or 
some  animal  power.  Do  not  calculate  on  the 
hired  man,  the  boy,  or  the  proprietor  doing 
this  work.  If  you  have  cows  enough  so  you 
can  afford  to  have  a  separator  you  can  afford 
to  have  some  power  to  operate  it.  I  have  had 
just  enough  experience  in  this  line  to  know 
that  it  is  hard  work.  It  is  the  kind  of  work 
that  does  not  induce  the  boys  to  stay  on  the 
farm.  If  any  person  is  to  do  this  work  it  cer- 
tainly should  be  the  proprietor. 

I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  opposed 
to  the  separator  as  I  know  very  well  that 
it  will  secure  for  us  the  most  effectual  work 
possible.  On  this  point  the  Delaware  Station, 
in  "Bulletin  17,"  calculates  that  with  a  herd 


MILK    FROM    COW    TO    CREAM    VAT. 


89 


averaging  100  Ibs.  of  milk  morning  and  night 
the  year  through  the  separator  would  save  about 


280  Ibs.  of  butter  in  the  year,  which  at  25  cents 
per  pound  would  be  a  gain  of  $70  over  cold 


90 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


setting;  but  if  fair  wages  be  counted  for  the 
hand-labor  the  profit  would  be  much  reduced, 
if  not  wiped  out,  and  the  station  suggests  that 


BABT  DE  LAVAL  SEPARATOR. 


horse  or  other  power  be  used  in  place  of  hand 
power. 

I  believe  that  we  can  make  butter  with  a 
more  delicate  flavor,  or  if  you  please  a  higher 
flavor,  when  the  separator  is  used  than  with 


MILK    FROM   COW   TO    CREAM   VAT. 


91 


the  gravity  methods  of  creaming.    Especially 
will  this  be  the  case  in  the  dairy,  as  the  milk 


will  be  separated  immediately  after  milking, 
and  the  quicker  it  is  done  the  better.  With 
the  utmost  cleanliness  there  is  liable  to  be  and 


92  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

at  times  will  be  elements  in  milk  from  contact 
with  which  it  is  best  that  the  cream  should  be 
removed.  Any  person  that  has  operated  arid 
cleaned  separators  for  a  few  months  can  realize 
this  point  fully.  In  proof  of  this  point  it  has 
been  learned  that  milk  for  cheese-making  is 
improved  by  running  it  through  a  separator 
without  separating  the  cream.  I  think  Dr. 
Babcock  has  practiced  this  in  an  experimental 
way. 

When  the  separator  is  to  be  used  it  is  best  to 
separate  as  soon  after  milking  as  practicable. 
If  power  of  some  kind  is  used  the  separator 
can  be  put  in  operation  soon  after  milking  has 
commenced,  or  at  least  commence  in  time  to 
have  continuous  work  for  the  separator  and  get 
through  separating  as  soon  as  practicable  after 
the  milking  is  done.  The  milk  as  it  comes 
from  the  cow  is  in  the  best  possible  condition 
to  separate. 

Farm  skim-milk. — There  is  a  great  variety 
in  the  quality  of  work  done  in  the  line  of  skim- 
ming by  farmers.  I  have  tested  farmers'  skim- 
milk  from  the  gravity  process  that  contained 
1-J  per  cent  of  fat.  They  had  recovered  less 
than  two-thirds  of  the  fat  in  the  milk.  This 
quality  of  work  makes  an  enormous  loss.  No 
business  except  farming  could  stand  such 
losses.  The  dairyman  of  the  future  is  not 
going  to  make  such  wastes.  It  is  only  quite 


MILK   FROM   COW   TO   CREAM    VAT.  93 

recently  that  we  have  had  a  practical  method 
of  knowing  what  losses  were  being  made,  and 
now  we  are  stopping  these  leaks  rapidly. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


RIPENING  AND  CHURNING. 

We  will  now  suppose  we  have  the  cream 
separated  from  the  milk  by  some  one  of  the 
processes.  The  cream  from  the  shallow  setting 
when  the  milk  was  sour  at  the  time  the  skim- 
ming was  done  may  be  churned  as  soon  as  con- 
venient after  it  is  taken  from  the  milk,  as  it 
has  ripened  on  the  milk  and  is  in  good  con- 
dition to  churn. 

Holding  cream. — It  may  also  be  put  in  a 
can  and  held  two  or  three  days  if  hekl  at  a  low 
temperature — 40  to  45  deg. — and  cream  may 
be  added  from  each  succeeding  skimming  and 
thoroughly  mixed  with  the  cream  already  in 
the  cream  can.  The  cream  can  should  be  large 
enough  to  hold  a  churning;  then  we  are  quite 
sure  that  the  cream  is  all  of  a  uniform  ripe- 
ness. This  is  necessary  to  secure  the  most  ex- 
haustive churning. 

When  we  mix  cream  of  different  degrees  of 
ripeness  in  the  churn  there  is  sure  to  be  a  large 
loss  in  the  buttermilk.  If  the  churning  is  done 
at  a  low  temperature  the  loss  will  be  less  than 

(94) 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING.  95 

if  done  at  60  or  62  deg.  This  rule  will  hold 
good  with  all  kinds  of  cream  and  all  degrees  of 
ripeness. 

Some  kind  of  a  vessel  about  the  same  depth 
as  the  cream  can  and  several  inches  larger  in 
diameter  is  needed  to  put  the  cream  can  in  and 
surround  it  with  water,  warm  or  cold,  as  need- 
ed to  warm  or  cool  the  cream.  A  wooden  vat 
may  be  used  for  this  purpose. 

Deep  cold-setting  cream.— The  cream  from 
the  deep  cold-setting  will  be,  or  should  be,  at  a 
low  temperature  when  taken  from  the  milk. 
This  may  be  put  in  the  cream  can  or  vat  and 
held  at  a  low  temperature,  as  low  as  40  deg.  if 
practical,  adding  the  cream  from  each  succeed- 
ing skimming  until  a  churning  is  secured,  or 
two  to  four  days,  giving  the  cream  a  thorough 
stirring  every  time  fresh  cream  is  added.  About 
eighteen  to  twenty  hours  before  you  wish  to 
churn  warm  this  cream  up  to  65  deg.  and  hold 
it  at  this  temperature  until  ripened,  which  will 
be  about  eighteen  hours.  Acidity  of  cream  and 
an  acid  test  for  cream  will  be  talked  about  in 
"Part  II"  of  this  book. 

Separator  cream. — The  cream  from  the  sep- 
arator should  be  immediately  cooled  to  a  low 
temperature,  the  degree  depending  on  when  it 
is  to  be  churned.  If  to  be  held  two  or  three 
days  cool  it  to  40  deg.,  or  as  near  it  as  is  prac- 
tical. If  ice  is  used  40  deg.  can  be  reached. 


96  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

The  cream  from  each  successive  skimming  may 
be  added  to  the  can  and  thoroughly  mixed  at 
each  addition  of  cream.  This  cream  may  be 
ripened  the  same  as  the  cream  from  the  deep 
cold  system. 

Different  temperatures  for  churning.^We 
now  have  the  cream  from  the  shallow  setting, 

the  deep  setting, 
and  from  the  sepa- 
rator ripened  ready 
to  churn.  The  next 
point  is  to  secure 
the  proper  temper- 
ature before  put- 
ting it  in  the  churn. 
It  is  best  to  cool 
the  cream  from  the 
shallow-setting  sys- 
tem to  54  to  56  deg. 
before  churning. 
This  cream  is  rich 

BARREL  DAIRY  CHURN.  in  fat  and  can  be 

churned  at  this  temperature  without  any  diffi- 
culty. Let  the  cream  stand  at  low  temperature 
before  churning  long  enough  for  the  fats  to 
solidify  or  harden. 

The  cream  from  the  deep  cold  system  has  a 
much  larger  per  cent  of  milk  in  it.  and  conse- 
quently a  smaller  per  cent  of  fat,  and  will  need 
to  be  churned  at  a  higher  temperature.  If  we 


RIPENING    AND    CHURNING. 


97 


undertake  to  churn  this  cream  below  55  deg. 
we  will  probably  have  trouble  from  its  swell- 
ing and  will  find  the  churn  full  of  frothy 


SQUARE  BOX  CHURN. 

cream.    The  proper  temperature  for  this  cream 
is  60  to  62  deg.  in  winter  and  58  to  60  deg.  in 
summer. 
The  separator  cream  should  be  cooled  to  a 

7 


98  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

temperature  to  correspond  with  the  per  cent 
of  fat  it  contains.  If  the  separator  is  adjusted 
to  take  from  one-seventh  to  one-eighth  of  the 
whole  milk  as  cream  it  will  contain  sufficient 
fat  so  we  can  churn  it  at  a  temperature  below 
55  deg.,  but  if  the  separator  is  adjusted  to  take 
from  one-fourth  to  one-fifth  of  the  milk  as 
cream  we  shall  need  to  churn  at  the  tempera- 
ture of  58  to  60  deg.  This  kind  of  cream  gives 
us  more  buttermilk  and  a  buttermilk  with  more 
fat  in  it.  Eich  cream  and  low  temperature 
give  the  most  exhaustive  churning. 

When  the  cream  is  being  cooled  get  the 
churn  ready  by  first  scalding  with  water  that  is 
above  180  deg ,  and  if  it  boils,  all  the  better,  as 
it  will  then  surely  scald.  After  scalding  cool 
thoroughly  with  cold  water  and  ice  if  you  have 
it.  When  cooled  the  churn  is  ready  for  the 
cream.  Never  fill  the  churn  more  than  half 
full,  as  it  will  require  more  time  and  not  do  so 
thorough  churning. 

Strain  the  cream  into  the  churn.  A  perfo- 
rated tin  strainer  is  good  for  this  work.  Strain- 
ing breaks  up  any  dried  cream  there  may  be, 
also  the  curd  if  there  is  any,  and  enables  us  to 
wash  it  out  of  the  granular  butter  with  less 
labor  and  care.  There  should  be  no  curd  in  the 
cream,  and  if  it  has  been  agitated  frequently 
and  not  allowed  to  become  too  sour  there  will 
be  none. 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING.  99 

Butter  color. — If  the  butter  needs  coloring 
to  satisfy  your  trade  put  it  into  the  cream  be- 
fore starting  to  churn.  When  purchasing  but- 
ter color  be  sure  that  you  get  fresh  goods,  as  it 
will  sometimes  become  stale  with  age  and  in- 
jure the  flavor  of  the  butter.  If  you  buy  the 
small  bottles  at  your  grocery  store  you  will 


RECTANGULAR  CHURN. 


need  to  look  well  after  this  point.  I  have  had 
butter  color  that  would  impart  a  flavor  to  the 
cream  that  could  be  detected  before  the  churn 
was  started. 

Temperature  of  churn  room. — Have  the 
temperature  of  the  room  in  which  the  churn- 
ing is  to  be  done  as  cold  as  the  cream  if  possi- 
ble, and  if  it  is  10  to  15  cleg,  colder  all  the  better, 


100  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

as  the  cream  will  then  not  warm  during  the 
churning  process.  But  if  the  churn  room  is  up 
to  75  to  80  deg.  the  cream  will  warm  up  very 
fast  and  the  butter  will  not  be  in  as  good  con- 
dition. It  will  need  much  more  washing  than 
when  it  gathers  cold. 

Washing  the  butter. — The  churn  should  be 
stopped  when  the  granules  of  butter  are  the 


DOG  POWER. 


size  of  wheat,  the  buttermilk  drawn  through 
a  fine  sieve,  and  the  butter  then  washed  as  little 
as  practical  to  remove  the  buttermilk.  Here  is 
where  the  cold  churning  has  the  advantage,  as 
the  butter  will  not  need  so  much  washing. 
When  the  butter  gathers  at  62  to  64  deg.  it  will 
need  three  washings  to  remove  the  buttermilk, 
and  it  will  then  show  milky  when  being 
worked.  But  if  the  butter  gathers  at  52  to  54 


RIPENING    AND   CHURNING. 


101 


deg.  it  will  need  but  one  washing,  if  any,  and  I 
am  confident  we  will  have  a  better  flavor  if 
not  washed  at  all.  When  washing  do  not  let 
the  butter  remain  in  the  water  any  longer  than 
is  absolutely  necessary.  Remove  it  as  soon  as 
it  has  done  its  work.  Allowing  butter  to  lie  in 
water  is  a  vital  mistake. 

Low  temperature. — Churning  at  50  to  52 
deg.  is  a  radical  change  from  the  general  prac- 
tice and  there  are  still 
many  who  do  not  be- 
lieve it  practical,  but 
it  is  the  daily  practice 
in  our  creameries  in 
cold  weather.  It  is 
not  unusual,  but  the 
rule,  that  our  butter 
will  stand  as  low  as 
54  deg.  in  winter  when 
the  buttermilk  is  re- 
moved. To  avoid  too 
much  washing  churn 
at  as  low  temperature  as  possible.  To  secure 
the  most  exhaustive  churning  churn  at  low 
temperature.  To  churn  at  a  low  temperature 
it  is  necessary  to  have  a  rich  cream.  Do  not 
attempt  to  churn  poor  or  thin  cream  at  a  low 
temperature,  as  you  will  have  trouble.  I  have 
many  times  in  my  early  experience  with  cream 
from  deep,  cold  setting  that  was  too  cold  and 


DAVIS  SWING  CHURN. 


102  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

swelled  so  as  to  fill  the  churn  too  full,  there  oy 
preventing  churning,  drawn  out  one-half  of  it 
and  made  two  churnings.  This  will  require  less 
time  and  much  less  patience  than  it  will  to 
churn,  or  try  to,  when  the  churn  is  so  full  that 
there  is  no  concussion. 

Handle  with  ladle.— Keep  the  butter  'in  the 
granular  form  until  it  is  put  onto  the  worker 
and  the  salt  added.  Keep  your  hands  out  of  the 
butter  and  handle  it  with  a  wooden  scoop  and 
ladle. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


SALTING,  WORKING,  PACKING  AND 
PRINTING. 

The  salting  may  be  done  in  the  churn  or  on 
the  worker.  If  the  box  or  barrel  churn  is  used 
it  can  be  salted  very  nicely  in  the  churn.  Use 
a  sieve  and  put  the  salt  through  it  into  the 
granular  butter;  then  revolve  the  churn  very 
slowly  and  the  salt  can  be  thoroughly  mixed 
with  the  butter  before  it  is  taken  from  the 
churn  and  while  it  is  in  the  granular  form. 
The  main  objection  I  have  to  salting  granular 
butter  in  the  churn  is  the  uncertainty  as  to  the 
amount  or  weight  of  the  butter.  When  a  small 
churn  is  used  this  can  be  overcome  by  weigh- 
ing the  churn  with  the  butter  in  it.  This  was 
my  practice  until  my  dairy  increased  so  as  to 
require  a  churn  of  a  size  that  could  not  be 
readily  handled  and  weighed.  The  advantage 
of  churning  at  a  low  temperature  comes  in  here 
too,  as  butter  at  a  low  temperature  does  not 
pack  so  readily  and  the  salt  can  be  mixed  with 
less  working. 

(103) 


104  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

Use  sufficient  salt  to  suit  your  trade.  Our 
experience  is  with  a  trade  that  wants  three- 
quarters  to  one  ounce  per  pound.  Work  the 
butter  once  or  twice  as  you  like. 

Take  the  butter  out  of  the  churn  with  a 
wooden  scoop.  A  small  hand  scoop  can  be  se- 
cured for  dairy  work.  Some  style  of  a  hand 


EUREKA  BUTTER-WORKER. 

butter-worker  should  be  used.     There  are  sev- 
eral styles  or  makes  that  are  all  right. 

Once  working. — The  butter  should  be  worked 
enough  to  thoroughly  incorporate  the  salt  so 
that  when  it  has  stood  twenty-four  hours  it  will 
not  show  mottled  or  streaked  when  bored  or 
cut  with  a  ladle.  If  at  any  time  you  find  this 
appearance  in  your  butter  you  may  know  it  is 
not  sufficiently  worked,  and  it  is  best  to  rework 
butter  that  has  much  of  this  appearance. 


SALTING,  WORKING    AND    PACKING. 


105 


Twice  working. — If  twice  working  is  prac- 
ticed it  should  be  worked  sufficiently  at  the  first 
working  to  get  the  salt  well  incorporated  with 
the  butter;  then  it  should  stand  long  enough 


to  allow  the  salt  to  dissolve,  when  it  is  ready 
for  the  final  working  At  this  working  the  but- 
ter is  sufficiently  treated  when  there  are  no 


106 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


streaks  of  white  to  be  seen  when  cut 
with  the  ladle  and  held  to  the  light. 


BUTTER  SPADE— SHORT  HANDLE. 

Do  not  confound  this  mottled  or 
streaked  appearance  that  comes  from 


ANDERSON  BUTTER  LADLE. 

insufficient  working  with 
the  white  curd  specks  that 
come  from  too  sour  cream. 
With  cream  from  shallow 


SPOON  LADLE. 


BUTTER  SPADE- 
LONG  HANDLE. 


pans  there  is  some  danger 
of  parts  becoming  so  dry 
that  they  go  through  the 


SALTING,   WORKING   AND    PACKING.  107 

churning  process  and  we  find  them  in  the  but- 
ter as  dried  cream,  and  when  color  has  been 
used  they  will  show  as  light  spots,  though  not 
white  as  the  curd  will.  Straining  the  cream 
will  remedy  this  trouble.  You  can  readily  tell 
the  difference,  as  one  is  fat  and  will  readily  dis- 
solve between  the  thumb  and  finger  and  the 


LEVER  BUTTER-WORKER. 

other  is  curd  and  will  not  dissolve  either  in  the 
mouth  or  by  heat. 

Kind  of  packages. — Use  a  package  to  suit 
your  trade,  but  whatever  you  use  be  sure  that 
it  is  clean  and  sweet.  Stone  and  earthen  jars 
must  be  looked  after  very  carefully,  especially 
if  they  have  been  previously  used,  as  they 
quickly  get  out  of  condition  if  not  properly 


108 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


cared  for.  Wooden  packages  should  not  be 
used  a  second  time  for  packed  butter.  Most  of 
them  are  cheaply  made  and  are  intended  to  be 
used  but  once,  and  it  is  a  very  difficult  matter 
to  have  them  kept  so  that  it  is  safe  to  use  a 
second  time. 

The  dairyman  will  have  more  of  this  to  con- 
tend with  than  the  creameryman  will,  and  he 
must  look  sharply  after  it.  I  have  had  bad- 
smelling  packages 
come  from  the 
best  families.  The 
mistress  cannot 
see  to  everything, 
but  must  trust  to 
someone,  and  she 
is  sometimes  de- 
ceived on  this 
point. 

A  desirable  way 
to  put  up  butter 
for  near-by  mar- 
kets is  in  prints. 
I  find  that  the  retailer  prefers  this  form  to  the 
solid  packed,  as  he  can  handle  it  like  canned 
goods  in  filling  orders.  I  have  been  told  by 
grocerymen  that  when  they  sell  small  quanti- 
ties from  a  large  package  three  cents  margin  is 
necessary  to  get  back  the  money  they  paid  for 
the  butter.  Another  point  in  favor  of  the  print 


BUTTER  SHIPPING  BOX. 


SALTING,  WORKING   AND    PACKING.  109 

butter  is  its  better  appearance.  When  it  is 
nicely  printed  and  wrapped  in  parchment  paper 
it  looks  very  neat  and  attractive.  It  can  also  be 
more  readily  put  in  good  shape  for  the  table. 
In  the  Eastern  and  some  of  the  Middle  States 
a  large  percentage  of  butter  goes  to  market  in 
prints. 

There  are  shipping-boxes  for  print  butter  for 
sale  by  dairy-implement  dealers,  some  with  ice- 
box attachment  and  others  without. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


MARKETING  DAIRY  BUTTER. 

There  are  many  ways  of  marketing  dairy 
butter.  At  times  it  may  be  sold  to  good  advan- 
tage at  the  country  store,  but  this  is  the  excep- 
tion, not  the  rule.  The  country  store  does  not 
usually  pay  for  butter  on  its  merits.  The  seller 
is  often  a  customer  and  they  do  not  want  to 
offend,  and  so  they  pay  more  for  poor  butter 
than  it  is  worth,  and  to  balance  up  must  pay 
less  for  the  good  butter  than  it  is  worth. 

In  many  places  a  good  market  may  be  secured 
among  the  citizens  of  the  village  or  city  where 
you  trad,e.  Many  are  anxious  to  have  a  reliable 
source  of  supply,  and  are  willing  to  pay  well 
for  butter  that  satisfies  them. 

Poor  butter  makes  a  loss.— Poor  butter  makes 
a  loss  to  the  maker  and  usually  to  every  one 
down  the  line  that  has  anything  to  do  with  it, 
excepting  the  commission  houses,  and  it  makes 
them  tired.  The  dealer  makes  his  profit  on  the 
fine  goods. 

Pine  butter  makes  a  profit. —  There  is  no 
trouble  in  selling  fine  butter.  The  trouble  will 

(110) 


MARKETING  DAIRY  BUTTER. 


Ill 


come  from  not  oeing  able  to  supply  the  demand. 
When  you  have  reached  this  condition  you  are 


in  position  to  secure  an  advance  in  price.   This 
is  what  you  have  been  working  for.     Now  you 


112 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


have  the  move  in  the  game  and  should  try  to 
keep  it.  This  you  can  do  only  by  continually 
trying  to  do  better  work.  It  will  not  answer 
to  think  you  have  reached  the  top  and  can  stay 
there  without  an  effort,  as  this  feeling  leads  to 
defeat. 

Commission  houses. — A  good  way  is  to  con- 
sign to  a  reliable  commission  house.  Here  your 
butter  will  sell  on  its  merits,  and  if  there  is 


GLASS  BUTTER  PACKAGE. 


anything  wrong  with  it  you  can  learn  what  the 
trouble  is,  and  when  you  are  told  do  not  be 
offended  about  it,  but  go  to  work  and  remedy 
the  trouble. 

In  selecting  a  commission  firm  to  sell  your 
butter  be  careful  not  to  make  a  mistake.  There 
are  plenty  of  reliable  firms  that  advertise  in  the 
dairy  papers.  Many  dairy  papers  will  not  re- 
ceive an  advertisement  from  a  firm  that  they 
do  not  know  to  be  reliable.  And  this  is  right. 

When  you  have  decided  to  let  a  commission 
man  handle  your  butter  and  have  selected  your 


MARKETING  DAIRY  BUTTER.        118 

man,  remember  that  you  and  the  commission 
man  are  both  interested  in  having  good  sales 
made,  and  you  can  help  him  by  shipping  your 
butter  on  a  regular  day,  as  often  as  once  per 
week.  The  commission  man  will  soon  have 
customers  for  your  butter  and  they  will  depend 
on  it. 

Have  a  brand  for  your  butter,  ana  be  sure 
you  keep  the  quality  up  to  standard.  If  at  any 
time  you  have  butter  that  is  not  up  to  stand- 
ard keep  your  brand  off  of  it.  Consign  it  to  your 
regular  man  and  tell  him  what  the  trouble  is, 
if  you  know,  and  if  you  do  not  know  ask  him 
to  help  you  over  the  difficulty  and  in  many 
cases  he  will  be  able  to  do  it.  Treat  him  as  a 
friend  and  nine  times  out  of  ten  he  will  prove 
a  friend. 

In  my  early  dairy  experience  I  had  private 
customers,  but  I  somehow  drifted  away  from 
them.  Sometimes  I  had  a  surplus  to  consign 
and  at  other  times  I  did  not  have  enough  to 
supply  or  fill  my  orders,  and  if  I  bought  to  meet 
the  demand  there  was  in  many  cases  dissatis- 
faction. 

Butter  has  individuality. — There  is  an  indi- 
viduality about  butter  as  much  as  in  persons, 
and  when  customers  become  familiar  with  a 
certain  brand  of  butter  they  prefer  it  to  some 
other  make  that  is  equally  good.  This  individ- 
uality must  be  preserved.  If  at  any  time  you 


114  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

think  it  best  to  make  a  change  in  any  of  the 
details  of  your  work  let  the  change  be  made 
gradually,  so  the  customers  will  adapt  them- 
selves to  the  change  and  probably  be  pleased 
with  it,  when  if  you  had  made  an  abrupt 
change  they  would  not  have  liked  it.  I  recently 
had  the  pleasure  of  examining  some  butter 
made  near  one  of  our  large  cities.  This  butter 
was  selling  for  seventy-five  cents  per  pound. 
This  caused  me  to  examine  it  very  carefully. 
The  butter  was  very  fine.  It  had  a  peculiar  fla- 
vor, different  from  any  flavor  I  had  ever  discov- 
ered in  butter  before.  I  was  told  that  this  pe- 
culiar flavor  was  virtually  a  trade-mark ;  that 
the  consumers  soon  learned  to  like  it  and  pre- 
ferred it  to  any  other  flavor.  I  mention  this  in 
proof  of  the  statement  that  customers  prefer 
what  they  have  become  accustomed  to  rather 
than  anything  different  that  is  equally  good. 

Care  pays  well. — Do  not  be  afraid  that  ex- 
tra time  spent  in  fitting  your  butter  for  market 
will  not  pay.  Remember  that  you  are  building 
a  reputation  that  will  enable  you  to  secure  a 
better  price  and  cause  your  butter  to  sell  read- 
ily at  all  times,  and  on  a  dull  or  declining  mar- 
ket especially  will  it  do  you  good,  as  your  goods 
will  move  in  time  to  escape  a  large  part  of  the 
decline.  Poor  butter  always  gets  caught  when 
the  market  declines.  This  leaves  it  to  go  from 
bad  to  worse,  and  it  will  go  at  a  terrible  gait. 


MARKETING    DAIRY    SETTER.  115 

This  we  are  well  aware  of  when  the  returns 
come. 

Profits  from  a  dairy  farm. — Acting  on  the 
judgment  of  several  of  my  friends  that  it  is  a 
proper  thing  to  do  I  give  here  a  short  business 
account,  showing  in  a  condensed  way  the  profit 
of  my  farm  in  1898: 

Sales. 

Hogs $1,726.49 

Fat  cows 480.90 

Oats. 270.40 

Butter  and  calves 4,410.69 

$6,888.48 
Expenses. 

Ground  feed  and  corn  bought $1,522.35 

Five  regular  men 1,525.00 

Taxes,  insurance,  blacksmithing,  groceries, 

hardware,  extra  labor,  etc 1,494.36 

$4,541.71 

Profits $2,346.77 

My  stock  I  appraise  at  $3,760.00,  on  which 
I  figure  6  per  cent  interest,  which  amounts 
to  $225.60.  This  taken  from  the  balance  of 
$2,346.77  leaves  $2,121.17  to  be  credited  to  the 
land.  My  farm  contains  354  acres,  valued  at 
$60  per  acre,  or  $21,240.  This  is  practically  10 
per  cent  interest  on  the  land  and  6  per  cent  on 
the  stock,  or  9|  per  cent  on  the  total  invested 
in  stock  and  tools.  I  do  not  live  on  my  farm, 
but  spend  one  day  per  week  looking  after  it. 
I  had  more  stock  on  the  farm  Jan.  1,  1894,  than 
I  did  Jan.  1,  1893,  This  I  did  not  take  into 
account. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


SKIM-MILK. 

There  are  comparatively  few  farmers  that 
realize  the  value  of  skim -milk  as  a  food  for  pigs 
and  calves.  My  experience  has  taught  me  that 
when  made  the  entire  food  of  pigs  weighing 
50  to  75  Ibs.  it  produced  a  pound's  increase  from 
16  Ibs.  of  skim-milk.  With  live  hogs  worth  4 
cents  per  pound  this  would  make  the  skim- 
milk  worth  25  cents  per  100  Ibs. 

Value  fed  alone. — I  do  not  advise  feeding 
pigs  entirely  on  skim-milk.  It  is  more  profit- 
able to  feed  some  grain  food  in  connection 
with  it.  The  combination  will  give  better  re- 
sults. The  question  arises,  Where  shall  we 
credit  the  increased  profit  that  comes  from 
feeding  the  combination  of  skim -mi  Ik  and 
grain  food  over  feeding  either  one  separate, 
or  making  either  skim-milk  or  the  grain  the 
entire  food?  I  formerly  divided  this  increased 
profit  and  gave  one-half  to  the  skim-milk  and 
one-half  to  the  grain  feed.  I  am  now  in  doubt 
about  the  justice  of  this  practice.  I  believe 

(116) 


SKIM-MILK.  117 

the  skim-milk  should  have  credit  for  all  the  in- 
creased profit  there  may  be  above  what  there 
would  be  in  feeding  the  grain  food  alone. 

Cost  of  growth,  with  corn. — In  June,  1874, 
a  lot  of  20  pigs  weighing  51  Ibs.  each  fed 
entirely  on  corn  and  the  increase  weight  cred- 
ited at  4  cents  per  pound,  paid  84  cents  per 
bushel  for  the  corn. 

In  January,  1875,  a  lot  of  32  pigs  weighing 
223  Ibs.  each  fed  entirely  on  corn  made  me  31J 
cents  per  bushel  for  the  corn  fed,  with  pork  at 
4  cents  per  pound,  live  weight. 

In  February,  1875,  a  bunch  of  30  pigs  weigh- 
ing 263  Ibs.  each  fed  on  corn  and  the  increase 
credited  at  4  cents  per  pound  brought  me  34 
cents  per  bushel  for  the  corn. 

In  January,  1876,  54  pigs  weighing  254  Ibs. 
each  were  fed  on  corn  and  the  increase  figured 
at  4  cents  per  pound  made  me  39  8-10  cents  per 
bushel  for  the  corn  fed. 

In  October,  1877,  34  hogs  weighing  302  Ibs. 
each  were  fed  new  corn  and  made  me  49  cents 
per  bushel  with  live  hogs  worth  4  cents  per 
pound. 

The  average  of  these  four  experiments  gave 
me  37  cents  per  bushel  for  corn  made  into  pork 
at  4  cents  per  pound,  live  weight;  or,  in  other 
words,  if  the  corn  were  figured  at  35  cents  per 
bushel  the  pork  cost  $3.78  per  100  Ibs.,  live 
weight. 


118  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Wisconsin  station  work. — The  Wisconsin 
Report  of  1885,  pages  34,  35,  and  36,  gives  the 
results  of  some  experiments  showing  the  cost 
of  producing  pork  with  corn-meal  at  $16  per 
ton  to  have  been  4.3  cents  per  pound;  with 
wheat  shorts  at  $14  per  ton  it  cost  3.7  cents, 
and  with  a  mixture  of  one-half  each  corn-meal 
and  wheat  shorts  it  cost  3.3  cents.  With  corn 
at  35  cents  per  bushel  and  wheat  shorts  at  70 
cents  per  100  Ibs.,  the  ration  being  two  parts 
corn  and  one  part  shorts,  the  cost  per  pound  of 
increase  was  4.1  cents  in  one  instance  and  with 
another  lot  with  the  same  feed  the  cost  was  4.4 
cents.  The  same  lots  immediately  following 
these  experiments  were  fed  on  corn  at  35  cents 
per  bushel  and  made  pork  at  a  cost  of  4.8  cents 
and  4.6  cents. 

In  the  Wisconsin  Report  of  1888,  page  109,  it 
is  recorded  that  the  work  with  whole  corn  at 
35  cents  per  bushel  made  the  gain  cost  4.9  cents 
per  pound.  On  the  same  page  the  work  shows 
wheat  shorts  at  70  cents  per  100  Ibs.  to  have 
made  pork  at  a  cost  of  3.6  cents.  Where  two 
parts  corn  and  one  part  shorts  were  fed,  corn 
being  35  cents  per  bushel  and  shorts  70  cents 
per  100  Ibs.,  the  cost  of  gain  was  3.85  cents  per 
pound.  When  two  parts  shorts  and  one  part 
corn  was  fed  the  cost  was  3.25  cents  per  pound. 

On  page  111  of  the  same  report  the  average 
of  three  experiments  with  whole  corn  is  given 


SKIM-MILK.  119 

as  35  cents  per  bushel.  The  pork  cost  4.9  cents 
per  pound  live  weight.  In  five  experiments 
with  corn-meal  in  summer  at  80  cents  per  100 
Ibs.  the  pork  cost  4.28  cents,  and  in  three  ex- 
periments with  corn-meal  in  winter  it  cost  4.14 
cents  per  pound,  live  weight,  to  produce  pork. 

Illinois  station  work.— The  Illinois  Experi- 
ment Station,  in  "  Bulletin  No.  16,"  gives  the 
results  in  tabulated  form  of  sixteen  experi- 
ments made  in  feeding  corn  alone  to  pigs. 
These  experiments  were  made  in  nine  different 
months  of  the  year  and  show  excellent  work. 
The  average  of  the  sixteen  lots  showed  11^  Ibs. 
live  weight  made  from  56  Ibs.  of  corn.  With 
corn  worth  35  cents  per  bushel  this  would  make 
pork  cost  a  trifle  over  3  cents  per  pound.  The 
poorest  results  were  obtained  from  work  done 
in  January,  which  showed  6.93  Ibs.  from  one 
bushel  of  corn  fed  to  pigs  weighing  108  Ibs. 
each.  The  next  poorest  results  were  obtained 
in  June,  July  and  August,  and  showed  8.28  Ibs. 
per  bushel  of  corn  fed  to  pigs  weighing  208  Ibs. 
each.  The  third  poorest  result  was  in  July, 
and  showed  8.66  Ibs.  per  bushel  fed  to  pigs  of 
223  Ibs.  weight.  The  best  work  was  done  in 
December,  and  showed  16.81  Ibs.  from  one 
bushel  of  corn. 

Virginia  station  work. — The  Virginia  Ex- 
periment Station,  in  "Bulletin  No.  10,"  found 
it  to  cost  5.3  cents  per  pound  to  produce  pork 


120  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

with  corn-meal  at  $20  per  ton.  On  this  basis 
if  the  corn-meal  had  been  $16  per  ton  the 
pork  would  have  cost  4J  cents  per  pound  live 
weight. 

Average  farmer's  work. — I  am  confident 
the  average  farmer  feeding  corn  alone  makes 
very  little  if  any  profit  in  producing  pork  on  a 
basis  of  35  cents  per  bushel  for  corn  and  $4  per 
100  Ibs.  live  weight  for  hogs.  There  are  short 
periods,  for  instance  with  hogs  that  have  been 
at  pasture  or  that  have  been  having  a  part 
ration  of  skim-milk  or  when  being  fed  new 
corn  before  it  becomes  hard,  that  there  may  be 
and  is  a  good  profit  at  the  above-mentioned 
prices  of  corn  and  pork.  On  the  other  hand 
there  are  times  when  hogs  have  been  fed  an 
exclusive  corn  diet  for  several  months  that 
there  is  a  severe  loss  at  above-mentioned  prices 
of  corn  and  pork.  We  cannot  expect  the  aver- 
age farmer  to  do  as  good  work  feeding  as  the 
experiment  stations,  but  we  have  farmers  that 
can  and  do  get  equally  good  results. 

Prof.  Cooke's  opinion. — In  the  1892  report 
of  the  Vermont  Experiment  Station  Prof.  W. 
W.  Cooke  says:  "It  would  be  a  proper  method 
of  accounting  to  take  out  from  the  amount  re- 
ceived for  the  pork  made  the  cost  of  the  grain 
food  and  consider  the  balance  as  what  was  re- 
ceived for  the  skim-milk."  He  also  says: 
"The  only  reason  for  keeping  and  feeding  the 


SKIM-MILK.  121 

pigs  was  to  serve  as  a  method  of  utilizing  the 
skim-milk." 

Credit  skim-milk. — If  I  am  right  in  my 
conclusions  that  there  is  little  if  any  profit  in 
producing  4-cent  pork  from  35-cent  corn  it  will 
be  just  and  fair  to  credit  skim-milk  with  the 
profit  that  comes  with  feeding  a  combination 
of  skim-milk  and  grain  food  when  the  growth 
is  credited  at  4  cents.  When  pork  is  worth 
more  than  4  cents,  as  it  frequently  or  generally 
is,  we  are  on  a  new  basis  and  both  grain  food 
and  skim-milk  will  receive  more  credit. 

Feeding  sow  with  pigs. — In  1878  I  made 
some  experiments  with  feeding  pigs,  taking  a 
litter  of  eight  pigs  and  their  dam  when  the  pigs 
were  twelve  days  old.  The  dam  weighed  290 
Ibs.  and  the  eight  pigs  61  Ibs.,  making  a  total 
of  351  Ibs.  Eighteen  days  later  the  dam 
weighed  295  Ibs.  and  the  eight  pigs  112  Ibs.,  a 
total  weight  of  407  Ibs.  This  was  a  gain  in 
eighteen  days  of  56  Ibs.  worth  4  cents  per 
pound,  or  $2.24.  They  were  fed  141  Ibs.  of 
corn-meal  and  wheat  bran  worth  $14  per  ton, 
or  98  cents.  They  were  also  fed  530  Ibs.  skim- 
milk.  We  will  deduct  from  the  value  of  the 
increase  weight  ($2.24)  the  cost  of  meal  and 
bran  (74  cents)  and  we  have  $1.26  for  tjie  530 
Ibs.  skim-milk,  or  23  4-5  cents  per  100  Ibs.  of 
skim-milk. 

Same  pigs  at  40  Ibs. — June  8  the  eight  pigs 


122  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

weighed  327  Ibs.  June  21  they  weighed  423 
Ibs. — a  gain  of  96  Ibs.  in  thirteen  days  which 
was  worth  4  cents  per  pound,  or  $3.86.  They 
were  fed  217  Ibs.  of  corn  which  at  35  cents  per 
bushel  would  be  worth  $1.36,  which  deducted 
from  $3.86  would  leave  $2.48  to  the  credit  of 
the  439  Ibs.  of  skim-milk,  or  56^  cents  per  100 
Ibs. 

We  will  take  this  $3.84  which  we  get  for  the 
96  Ibs.  of  growth  at  4  cents  per  pound  and 
charge  up  the  corn  fed  at  50  cents  per  bushel: 
3J  bushels  at  50  cents  would  amount  to  $1.93, 
which  deducted  from  $3.84  would  leave  $1.91, 
or  43  cents  per  100  Ibs.  for  the  439  Ibs.  of  skim- 
milk  fed. 

Let  us  figure  this  another  way.  We  will 
suppose  200  Ibs.  of  skim-milk  equal  to  one 
bushel  of  corn,  and  we  have  3.87  bushels  of 
corn,  and  the  439  Ibs.  of  skim-milk  would  equal 
2.19  bushels,  making  6.06  bushels,  for  which  we 
received  $3.84,  or  63  cents  per  bushel. 

Now  charge  the  pigs  with  the  skim-milk  at 
25  cents  per  100  Ibs.  and  the  corn  at  35  cents 
per  bushel  and  we  have  the  following  account: 

439  Ibs.  skim-milk  at  25  cents $1.10 

3|  bushels  of  corn  at  35  cents. 1.35 

Cost  of  the  96  Ibs.  growth $2.45 

Cost  per  pound  of  growth 02i 

Same  pigs  at  125  Ibs.  weight. — This  bunch 
of  pigs  after  reaching  a  weight  of  125  Ibs.  made 


SKIM-MILK.  128 

growth  at  a  cost  of  2.64  cents  per  pound  with 
corn  figured  at  35  cents  per  bushel  and  skim- 
milk  at  25  cents  per  100  Ibs. 

I  was  a  farmer  when  I  did  this  work  and  am 
a  farmer  yet,  but  do  not  now  milk  the  cows 
and  feed  the  pigs  and  calves  as  I  did  when  liv- 
ing on  the  farm. 

Wisconsin  experiments. — The  Wisconsin 
report  of  1888,  page  92,  gives  some  interesting 
reports  of  work  done  in  feeding  corn-meal  and 
skim-milk,  also  whole  corn  and  skim-milk.  A 
saving  of  about  10  per  cent  was  found  by  grind- 
ing the  corn  into  meal,  which  amount  scarcely 
paid  for  the  grinding.  Taking  the  figures  and 
charging  up  the  corn-meal  at  80  cents  per  100 
Ibs.  and  crediting  4  cents  per  pound  for  the  in- 
crease in  weight  made  and  giving  the  skim- 
milk  credit  for  all  the  profit  made,  we  have  as 
follows:  183  Ibs.  sweet  skim-milk  and  366  Ibs. 
corn-meal  made  100  Ibs.  gain;  366  Ibs.  corn- 
meal  at  80  cents  per  100  Ibs.  equals  $2.93,  to  be 
deducted  from  $4,  the  price  of  the  100  Ibs.  gain, 
and  we  have  $1.07  to  the  credit  of  the  183  Ibs. 
of  sweet  skim-milk,  which  is  58  cents  per  100 
Ibs.  This  lot  of  hogs  averaged  288  Ibs.  An- 
other lot  averaging  204  Ibs.  each,  fed  at  the 
same  time  and  in  exactly  the  same  way,  made 
40  cents  per  100  Ibs.  for  the  sweet  skim-milk. 
Work  done  at  the  same  time  in  feeding  sweet 
skim-milk  and  whole  corn,  estimating  the  corn 


124  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

at  40  cents  per  bushel  and  allowing  4  cents  per 
pound  for  the  increase  and  crediting  the  skim- 
milk  with  the  whole  profit,  gives  us  50  cents 
per  100  Ibs.  for  it.  The  hogs  were  fed  two 
pounds  of  grain  food  to  each  pound  of  skim- 
milk.  The  Wisconsin  experimenters  did  not 
figure  the  trial  in  this  way.  I  have  taken  the 
responsibility  of  putting  their  work  in  this 
shape.  They  may  well  feel  proud  of  their  work 
in  this  line. 

On  page  96  of  the  Wisconsin  report  of  1888  is 
a  statement  of  the  results  of  feeding  different 
amounts  of  sweet  skim-milk  and  corn-meal  to 
pigs.  In  this  work  there  were  three  lots  of 
pigs  of  three  each.  Lot  A  was  fed  350  Ibs.  of 
sweet  skim-milk  to  100  Ibs.  of  corn-meal.  Lot 
B  was  fed  100  Ibs.  of  sweet  skim-milk  to  110 
Ibs.  of  corn-meal.  Lot  C  was  fed  100  Ibs.  of 
sweet  skim-milk  to  300  Ibs.  of  corn- meal.  Fig- 
uring the  corn-meal  to  be  worth  80  cents  per 
100  Ibs.  arid  the  skim-milk  25  cents  per  100  Ibs., 
the  cost  of  the  increase  was  as  follows: 

Lot  A,  fed  350  Ibs.  sweet  skim-milk  to  100  Ibs. 

corn-meal,  cost 3i  cts.  per  Ib. 

Lot  B,  'fed  100  Ibs.  sweet  skim-milk  to  110  Ibs. 

corn-meal,  cost 3  cts.  per  Ib. 

Lot  C,  fed  100  Ibs.  sweet  skim-milk  to  300  Ibs. 

corn-meal,  cost 3    cts.  per  Ib. 

Prof.  Henry  says:  "This  trial  shows  that  to 
produce  pork  rapidly  a  large  proportion  of  milk 
to  corn-meal  may  be  fed,  but  that  such  feeding 


SKIM-MILK.  125 

is  not  the  most  economical  when  cost  of  prod- 
uct is  considered,  and  that  one  pound  to  one 
pound  and  a  half  of  milk  to  one  pound  of  corn- 
meal  is  as  much  as  can  be  profitably  fed  when 
milk  is  valued  at  20  to  25  cents  per  100  Ibs.  and 
corn-meal  at  75  cents  per  100  Ibs." 

Old  and  young  animals. — The  Wisconsin  re- 
port of  1889,  page  24,  gives  some  results  of  work 
done  to  show  the  value  of  skim-milk  fed  to 
mature  versus  growing  hogs. 

With  lot  1,  hogs  weighing  400  Ibs.,  it  required 
1,430  Ibs.  of  skim-milk  and  301  Ibs.  of  corn-meal 
to  produce  100  Ibs.  increase.  Crediting  the  in- 
crease at  4  cents  per  pound  and  charging  80 
cents  per  100  Ibs.  for  the  corn-meal,  we  have  11 
cents  per  100  Ibs.  left  for  the  skim-mirk  fed. 

With  lot  2,  hogs  weighing  144  Ibs.,  it  required 
1,024  Ibs.  of  skim-milk  and  174  of  corn-meal 
to  produce  100  Ibs.  live  weight.  Figuring  this 
on  the  same  basis  as  lot  1,  we  secure  25  cents 
per  100  Ibs.  for  the  skim-milk. 

These  figures  illustrate  the  facts  so  often 
brought  out,  that  to  do  profitable  work  we 
must  have  young  and  growing  animals. 

Before  and  after  weaning. — In  the  1889 
Wisconsin  report  is  recorded  some  very  valu- 
able work  in  feeding  pigs  before  and  after 
weaning.  In  these  trials  there  were  four  lots 
of  pigs.  The  experiment  made  before  weaning 
continued  from  55  to  64  days,  the  sows  being 


126  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

weighed  with  the  pigs.  They  were  fed  corn- 
meal  and  shorts  and  skim-milk.  Figuring  the 
corn-meal  and  shorts  at  $14  per  ton  and  the 
sweet  skim-milk  at  25  cents  per  100  Ibs.,  the 
growth  cost  as  follows: 

With  lot  1 $3.10  per  100  Ibs. 

With  lot  2 3.44  per  100  Ibs. 

With  lot  3 3.03  per  100  Ibs. 

With  lot  4 3.00  per  100  Ibs. 

Figured  on  the  same  basis  after  weaning  the 
growth  cost  as  follows: 

Lot  1 $3.23  per  100  Ibs. 

Lot  2 2.95  per  100  Ibs. 

Lot  3 2.61  per  100  Ibs. 

Lot  4 2.60  per  100  Ibs. 

The  trial  after  weaning  covered  from  30  to 
46  days. 

Figuring  the  gain  made  by  these  pigs  at  4 
cents  per  pound,  and  deducting  therefrom  the 
cost  of  the  ground  feed  at  $14  per  ton  for  corn- 
meal  and  shorts,  half  of  each,  thereby  giving 
the  skim-milk  credit  for  all  the  profit,  we  find 
that  in  the  work  before  weaning  we  receive  30 
cents,  40  cents,  41  cents  and  43  cents  per  100 
Ibs.  of  sweet  skim-milk,  and  after  weaning  on 
the  same  basis  we  receive  38  cents,  43  cents,  51 
cents  and  55  cents  per  100  Ibs.  of  skim-milk. 

We  have  found  in  one  instance  that  400-1  b. 
hogs  paid  us  11  cents  per  100  Ibs.  for  skim-milk, 
and  in  other  cases  we  have  found  with  pigs 
about  three  months  old  that  we  received  as 


SKIM-MILK.  127 

high  as  50  cents  per  100  Ibs.  of  skim-milk. 
How  much  of  this  do  we  poor  mortals  need  to 
get  ourselves  in  the  proper  condition  to  receive 
good  from  such  work?  Let  us  not  sit  down 
and  say  we  cannot  accomplish  any  such  work, 
for  we  can.  Some  of  us  have  done  it  and  more 
of  us  can  when  we  go  about  it  intelligently. 

New  Hampshire  station  work. — The  New 
Hampshire  Experiment  Station,  "Bulletin  No. 
11,"  gives  some  valuable  work  on  pig-feeding. 
Every  hog-raiser  in  the  country  should  read  it. 
It  gives  the  results  of  feeding  skim-milk  and 
corn-meal  versus  corn-meal  and  middlings. 
The  work  commenced  with  pigs  six  weeks  old 
and  weighing  28  Ibs.  each.  The  experiment 
commenced  Sept.  3  and  ended  Jan.  14,  extend- 
ing over  four  and  one-third  months'  time  and 
at  a  season  of  the  year  that  gave  a  fair  average 
of  temperature.  At  the  commencement  of  the 
experiment  skim-milk  is  assumed  to  be  worth 
25  cents  per  100  Ibs.;  later  in  the  work  the  re- 
sults are  figured  so  as  to  show  the  actual  value 
of  the  skim-milk. 

A  valuable  point. — The  most  noticeable 
point  about  the  work  is  the  marked  superiority 
of  the  skim-milk  and  corn-meal  ration  over  the 
corn-meal  and  middlings,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  the  latter  contained  the  most  digesti- 
ble matter.  Another  noticeable  point  is  in- 


128  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

creased  cost  of  producing  pork  as  the  pigs  grew 
older. 

Cost  increases  with  age. — Lot  1,  Sept.  3  to 
24,  with  skim-milk  at  25  cents  per  100  Ibs.  and 
corn-meal  $20  per  ton,  it  cost  .0258  to  produce 
a  pound's  increase  of  live  weight.  With  the 
same  lot  and  same  feed  Oct.  15  to  Nov.  5  it  cost 
.035  per  pound,  and  Dec.  10  to  Jan.  24  it  cost 
.0434.  Lot  2  showed  nearly  the  same  results. 
The  following  is  clipped  from  this  bulletin: 

With  grain  costing,  as  this  did,  $20  per  ton  for  corn-meal 
and  $26  for  middlings  such  pigs  as  these  were  cannot  be  fed 
without  loss  when  pork  sells  at  4  cents  alive  or  5  cents 
dressed. 

With  skim-milk,  however,  the  case  is  different  for  two 
reasons:  First,  less  "raw  material,"  that  is  digestible  mat- 
ter, is  required  to  produce  a  pound  of  growth,  as  shown  be- 
low. 

DIGESTIBLE  MATTER  PER  100  LBS.  OF  GROWTH. 

Average  digestible  dry  matter  required  to  produce  100 
Ibs.  gain: 

Lot  l.  Lot  3. 

Skim-milk  and  corn-meai 242  220}£ 

Meal  and  middlings 334*4  334^ 

Average  for  entire  time i 279  288M 

and  secondly,  because  with  skim-milk  and  corn-meal  a 
greater  quantity  of  food  can  be  handled  daily.  Thus  by  both 
of  these  factors  the  time  required  for  producing  a  200-lb.  pig 
is  reduced  very  materially.  This  point  is  not  sufficiently  ap- 
preciated by  many  who  feed  pigs.  With  the  present  prices 
there  is  but  one  way  in  which  pork  can  be  produced  at  a 
profit  and  that  is  by  producing  a  200-lb.  pig  in  the  shortest 
possible  time. 

We  see  from  Table  II  that  the  cost  of  growth  and  the 
amount  of  food  required  to  produce  100  Ibs.  of  growth  in- 
crease as  the  pigs  grow  older,  and  it  would  have  been  much 


SKIM-MILK. 


129 


more  profitable  to  have  sold  them  when  averaging  175  Ibs. 
each  than  when  averaging  240  Ibs. 

Thus  far  we  have,  for  convenience,  figured  all  results  on 
the  assumption  that  the  skim-milk  used  was  worth  25  cents 
per  100  Ibs. 

We  will  now  see  what  its  value  actually  was  under  the 
conditions  of  this  experiment,  the  price  of  live  hogs  being  4 
cents  per  pound  and  the  cost  of  grain  as  previously  men- 
tioned. 

For  our  present  purpose  we  will  neglect  the  first  cost  of 
the  pigs  and  note  the  value  of  the  gain  of  live  weight  for  each 
period  where  skim-milk  was  used  as  a  part  of  the  ration: 

TABLE  IV. 


Total. 
Av'ge 


$2.32 
3. 


$1.01 


7.28 


$15.68  $10.49 


$1.31 
1.48 
2.40 


$5.19 


196  Ibs. 

406  Ibs. 
1,295  Ibs, 
1,897  Ibs. 


Ig 

fri" 

"ibTeT 

36} 

18} 

$0.27^ 


I 


$13.22 


$1.68 


$7.66 


$1.90     294  Ibs. 
3.62;  1,116  Ibs. 


$5.56  1,410  Ibs. 


1! 

^5. 
ll 


$0.64^ 


$0.39^ 


This  table  is  constructed  by  determining  the  value  of  the 
gain  for  each  skim-milk  period  and  subtracting  therefrom 
the  cost  of  the  corn-meal  which  was  fed  with  the  skim-milk; 
the  remainder  represents  the  value  of  the  skim-milk,  which, 
divided  by  the  amount,  gives  the  value  per  100  Ibs.  The 
showing  is  certainly  a  favorable  one,  and  with  thrifty  pigs 
from  20  to  30  cents  per  100  Ibs.  ought  to  be  and  can  be  real- 
ized for  skim-milk  when  live  hogs  sell  at  4  cents  per  pound. 
It  must  be  constantly  kept  in  mind,  however,  that  they  must 
be  sold  by  the  time  they  reach  a  live  weight  of  from  200  to 
230  Ibs. 

FEEDING  WITH  GRAIN  ALONE. 

Table  V  gives  the  results  of  feeding  with  corn-meal  and 
middlings: 
9 


130 


AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 


TABLE  V. 


LOT  ONE. 

LOT  TWO. 

Value  of 
gain  at 
4c.per  Ib. 

Cost  of 
grain  fed. 

Cost  of 
gain  per 
pound. 

Value  oj 
gain  at 
4c.  per  ib. 

Cost  of 
grain  fed. 

Cost  of 
gain  per 
pound. 

J 

$2  04 

$1  61 

3  1  cts 

2  

$2  54 

$2  41 

3  8  cte 

3 

3  14 

3  61 

4  

5  92 

8  29 

5  6  cts 

5 

6  96 

11  02 

Total  

$8  46 

$10  70 

$12  14 

$16  25 

5  0  cts 

5  3  cts 

This  table  seems  conclusive  so  far  as  these  pigs  were  con- 
cerned, and  we  are  obliged  to  say  that  on  grain  alone  there 
was  a  loss  of  more  than  one  cent  for  every  pound  of  growth. 

These  results  show  us  that  we  cannot  blindly  follow  the 
teachings  of  feeding  tables,  for  should  we  so  do  one  of  these 
rations  would  be  as  good  as  the  other,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
while  chemically  the  skim-milk  ration  was  not  quite  as  rich 
in  nutritive  material  as  the  grain  ration,  yet  the  former  was, 
on  an  average,  30  per  cent  more  efficient  in  actual  results 
than  the  latter. 

"Table  IV"  is  a  highly  interesting  and  valu- 
able one.  Prof.  Whitcher  in  the  work  here 
tabulated  charges  the  corn-meal  at  cost  and 
gives  the  skim-milk  credit  for  the  balance  of 
the  gain.  This  seems  fair,  as  he  shows  in 
"Table  V"  that  when  corn-meal  and  middlings 
were  fed  the  cost  of  producing  was  one  cent  per 
pound  more  than  the  increase  made  by  the 
skim-milk  was  credited  with. 

In  "Part  II"  of  this  bulletin  F.  W.  Morse 
makes  an  interesting  and  instructive  report 
of  his  work  to  determine  the  digestibility  of 
rations.  I  wish  again  to  call  attention  to  the 
time  this  experiment  covered — 19  weeks.  This 


SKIM-MILK.  131 

makes  it  much  more  reliable  and  valuable  than 
if  it  covered  a  short  time.  I  use  Prof.  Whit- 
cher's  conclusions  entire: 

1.  For  each  100  Ibs.  of  live  weight  eight  pounds  of  skim- 
milk  and  four  pounds  of  corn-meal  make  an  ample  and  well- 
proportioned  daily  ration. 

2.  In  the  absence  of  skim-milk  two  and  one-half  pounds  of 
corn-meal,  two  and  one-half  pounds  of  middlings,  and  eight 
pounds  of  water  will  give  an  equal  amount  of  nutritive 
matter. 

3.  One  hundred  pounds  of  digestible  matter  in  the  skim- 
milk  and  corn-meal  ration  was  equal  to  146.9  Ibs.  in  the  corn- 
meal  and  middlings  ration. 

4.  The  superiority  of  the  skim-milk  ration  is  due  in  part, 
doubtless,  to  its  greater  digestibility;  but  still  more,  in  my 
opinion,  to  the  fact  that  there  is  less  waste  matter — that  is 
indigestible  matter — to  be  carried  through  the  system,  and  to 
the  noticeable  difference  in  the  character  of  the  dung,  men- 
tioned by  Prof.  Morse  in  "  Part  II"  of  this  bulletin.     The 
pigs   on  mixed  grain  invariably  grew  constipated,  while 
those  on  skim-milk  were  not  so  affected. 

5.  The  cost  of  a  pound  of  gain  on  skim-milk  and  corn-meal 
was  3.6  cents,  on  mixed  grain  ration,  5.2  cents. 

6.  Digestible  dry  matter  required  to  produce  100  Ibs.  of 
gain  of  live  weight  on  skim-milk  and  corn-meal,  231  Ibs.,  on 
mixed  grain,  334i  Ibs. 

»   j  Lot  1  when  dressed  shrunk  19.6  per  cent. 
*  J  Lot  2  when  dressed  shrunk  18.4  per  cent. 
8.  Calling  skim-milk  worth  25  cents  per  100  Ibs.  and  we 
get  the  following  balance  sheet,  on  the  basis  of  the  cost  as 
given  in  "Conclusion  No.  5  ": 

30-lb.  pig,  first  cost $2.00 

170  Ibs.  of  growth  on  skim-milk  and  corn-meal,  at  3.6  cts .     6. 12 

200-lb.  pig  cost $8.12 

which  equals  4.06  cents  per  pound. 

HO-lb.  pig,  first  cost $2.00 

170  Ibs.  growth  on  corn-meal  and  middlings,  at  5.2  cts  . .  8.84 

200-lb.  pig  cost $10.84 

which  equals  5.42  cents  per  pound. 


132  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

Massachusetts  station  work. — The  Massa- 
chusetts Experiment  Station  has  done  a  great 
deal  of  valuable  work  in  the  line  of  experimen- 
tation in  pig-feeding.  The  following  conclu- 
sions were  drawn  after  closing  its  nineteenth 
experiment: 

Briefly  stated,  from  a  practical  standpoint,  these  two  ex- 
periments and  many  others  made  at  the  station  teach  us  the 
following  lessons: 

1.  Skim-milk,  together  with  corn-meal,  gluten-meal,  wheat 
bran,  gluten  feed,  maize  feed,  etc.,  combined  as  above  stated, 
have  proved  healthy  and  profitable  foods  for  the  production 
of  pork  for  our  markets. 

2.  With  skim-milk  reckoned  at  1 .8  cents  per  gallon,  gluten 
feed  from  $21  to  $23  per  ton,  and  corn-meal  at  $23  to  $24  per 
ton,  we  have  been  enabled  in  these  experiments  to  produce 
dressed  pork  at  from  4.6  to  5.3  cents  per  pound.    The  net 
cost  of  the  dressed  pork  produced  (obtained  by  deducting  the 
value  of  the  manure  produced)  was  from  3.3  to  3.8  cents  per 
pound. 

3.  Farmers  having  a  quantity  of  skim-milk  at  their  dis- 
posal can  utilize  it  profitably  by  feeding  it  to  growing  pigs, 
as  above  described.     If  this  milk  can  be  sold,  however,  at  1 
cent  per  quart,  or  more,  it  would  undoubtedly  be  more  profit- 
able to  sell  it  than  to  use  it  in  the  production  of  pork. 

4.  Experiments  made  at  this  station  have  proved  that  it 
is  not  profitable  to  feed  pigs  after  they  reach  a  weight  of  180 
to  190  Ibs.,  excepting  perhaps  when  pork  commands  an  ex- 
ceptionally high  price.    Fed  beyond  this  weight  the  food 
consumed  increases  and  the  percentage  of  gain  in  live  weight 
steadily  decreases,  so  that  the  daily  cost  of  food  consumed  is 
more  than  the  value  of  the  daily  increase  in  weight.    This 
fact  has  since  been  confirmed  by  other  stations. 

Ex-Gov.  Hoard's  work. — Several  years  ago 
ex-Gov.  Hoard  made  an  experiment  in  feeding 
skim-milk  to  pigs.  The  pigs  weighed  100  Ibs. 


SKIM-MILK.  133 

each  and  cost  4J  cents  per  pound.  They  were 
fed  56  days  on  clear  skim-milk  which  was 
weighed  to  them  daily  and  fed  sweet.  At  the 
end  of  56  days  they  were  sold  and  the  growth 
figured  at  4^  cents  per  pound  paid  22^  cents  per 
100  Ibs.  of  skim-milk  fed.  As  Gov.  Hoard  says, 
this  work  was  not  done  under  the  best  condi- 
tions nor  in  the  most  economical  way,  as  it 
would  without  doubt  have  paid  better  to  feed 
some  kind  of  grain  food  with  the  skim-milk. 

C.  P.  Goodrich's  work. — Mr.  C.  P.  Goodrich 
of  Fort  Atkinson,  Wis.,  kindly  gave  me  the  re- 
sults of  some  experimenting  he  did  in  feeding 
pigs. 

A  bunch  of  six-months-old  pigs  weighing  125 
Ibs.  each  were  divided  into  three  lots  as  nearly 
equal  as  practicable. 

Lot  1  was  fed  entirely  on  skim-milk  and  made 
5  Ibs.  growth  from  100  Ibs.  of  skim-milk. 

Lot  2  was  fed  entirely  on  corn  and  made  10 
Ibs.  growth  from  one  bushel  of'  70  Ibs.  of  ear 
corn. 

Lot  3  was  fed  skim -milk  and  corn  in  propor- 
tion of  one  bushel  of  corn  to  100  Ibs.  of  skim- 
milk.  This  combination  produced  18  Ibs.  of 
growth.  This  illustrates  very  nicely  the  econ- 
omy of  feeding  a  combination  ration.  When 
the  bushel  of  corn  and  the  100  Ibs.  of  skim-milk 
were  fed  separate  they  made  15  Ibs.  of  growth; 
when  combined  they  made  18  Ibs.  of  growth. 


134  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Here  is  20  per  cent  better  results  obtained  from 
the  combination  of  foods.  And  this  is  not  all 
the  meat  in  this  nut  by  any  means,  as  the 
farmer  can  feed  three  times  as  many  pigs  when 
he  feeds  one  bushel  of  corn  to  100  Ibs.  of  skim- 
milk  as  he  can  when  he  feeds  clear  skim- 
milk,  as  the  bushel  of  corn  has  in  this  case 
twice  the  feeding  value  of  the  100  Ibs.  of  skim- 
milk.  I  think  it  is  fair  to  conclude  from  this 
work  that  there  is  twice  the  profit  when  the 
skim-milk  is  fed  with  the  proper  amount  of 
grain  food  than  when  fed  alone.  This  is  in  line 
with  my  own  experience  and  also  wTith  much 
experiment  station  work.  Mr.  Goodrich  is  a 
farmer  and  did  this  work  for  his  own  informa- 
tion. 

Salt,  ashes,  and  copperas. — Keep  a  mixture 
of  ashes,  salt,  and  copperas  by  the  pigs  and 
hogs  at  all  times.  Mix  one  bushel  of  ashes, 
eight  quarts  of  salt,  and  four  quarts  of  copperas. 
Put  in  a  trough  where  it  is  dry  and  accessible 
at  all  times.  It  will  keep  them  clear  of  worms 
and  lice  and  help  promote  thrift.  My  hogs 
consume  a  barrel  of  copperas  annually. 

Skim-milk  for  calves. — Skim-milk  as  a  food 
for  calves,  and  especially  separator  skim-milk, 
is  underestimated  very  much  by  dairymen  in 
general.  I  teach  the  calves  to  drink  their 
mother's  milk.  The  calf  must  have  the  first 
milk  from  its  mother  if  not  allowed  to  suck. 


SKIM-MILK.  135 

The  milk  must  be  fed  the  calf  when  drawn. 
This  is  a  law  of  Nature  and  must  not  be  ignored. 
If  it  is  there  will  be  trouble  and  the  calf  injured 
or  ruined.  My  calves  are  fed  new  milk  for  a 
few  days;  then  we  begin  to  mix  some  skim- 
milk  and  increase  it  until  the  new  milk  is 
dropped  entirely. 


^Rules  for  calf-feeding.— There  are  a  few 
simple  rules  to  follow  in  growing  calves  on 
skim-milk  and  there  will  seldom  be  any  trouble. 
The  milk  must  be  sweet;  it  must  be  as  warm 
as  the  mother's  milk,  or  98  deg.,  and  care  must 
be  exercised  not  to  feed  too  much  milk.  Four 
quarts  at  a  feed  twice  per  day  is  sufficient 
for  the  average-sized  calf  for  the  first  month. 
Add  a  spoonful  of  oil-meal  to  each  feed  of 
milk.  Let  them  eat  what  oats  or  shorts  and 
hay  they  will.  Oats  are  an  excellent  feed  for 
young  calves.  Never  feed  a  young  calf  cold 
milk.  Many  times  calves  are  injured  by  being 
fed  too  much  milk,  especially  skim-milk.  Many 
persons  apparently  think  that  because  the  cream 
is  taken  out  they  need  to  feed  more  of  it.  This 
is  a  mistake.  Overfeeding  causes  the  calf  to 
scour.  This  is  the  greatest  cause  of  scours. 

Remedy  for  scours. — The  calves  must  be 
watched  and  when  there  is  a  tendency  to  loose- 
ness of  the  bowels  feed  less  milk.  If  this  does 
not  remedy  the  trouble  heat  some  ski  in- milk  to 
the  boiling  point,  then  cool  it  and  feed  the  calf. 


136  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

If  taken  in  time  this  will  check  it.  I  raise 
about  thirty  heifer  calves  every  winter  on 
separator  skim-milk  and  have  not  had  an  un- 
thrifty calf  in  two  years.  Linseed-meal  is  an 
excellent  food  to  use  with  skim-milk.  My 
practice  is  to  add  a  spoonful  to  the  milk  at  the 
time  it  is  fed. 

Keep  calves  dry. — Great  care  must  be  taken 
to  keep  the  calves  dry  at  all  times.  This  re- 
quires a  large  amount  of  bedding.  Calves  will 
not  thrive  unless  kept  dry.  I  have  had  grade 
Short-horn  calves  gain  two  and  one-half  pounds 
each  per  day  when  four  to  five  months  old  and 
were  fed  skim-milk,  corn-meal  and  timothy 
hay.  These  were  steer  calves  that  were  fed 
for  veal.  My  heifer  calves  that  I  raise  for 
cows  I  do  not  want  to  get  fat,  but  keep  them 
in  a  thrifty  condition  and  growing  all  the  time 
until  they  become  mothers.  A  bunch  of  nice, 
thrifty  calves  is  one  of  the  prettiest  sights  on 
a  farm. 

Massachusetts  station  work. — The  Massa- 
chusetts Experiment  Station  after  a  number 
of  years'  experiments  (one  object  of  which  was 
to  learn  the  value  of  skim-milk  as  a  pig  food) 
commenced  some  work  to  learn  the  value  of 
skim-milk  as  a  food  for  young  calves.  In  this 
work  there  were  seven  calves,  each  kept, 
weighed,  and  fed  independent  of  the  others,  so 
there  were  seven  trials  going  on  at  the  same 


SKIM-MILK.  187 

time.  A  summary  of  results  shows  that  when 
live  weight  sells  for  four  and  one-half  cents  per 
pound  the  average  of  the  seven  calves  returned 
three-fourths  of  a  cent  per  quart  for  the  skim- 
milk  fed.  This  would  be  the  same  as  35  cents  per 
100  Ibs.  These  calves  were  fed  ten  weeks  and 
gained  an  average  of  one  and  one-half  pounds 
per  day. 

Dr.  Goessman's  comments  on  the  results  I 
use  entire : 

The  experiments  have  shown  that  calves  grown  upon 
skim-milk  alone  or  upon  skim-milk  and  grains  during  the 
first  eight  weeks  of  their  lives  make  good  gains  in  live 
weight,  namely,  from  0.9  to  2.13  Ibs.  per  day,  with  an  aver- 
age of  1.49  Ibs.  These  animals,  however,  put  on  very  little 
fat,  either  when  fed  on  skim-milk  alone  or  when  fed  on  skim- 
milk  and  grains.  They  were  not  able  to  digest  the  neces- 
sary amount  of  corn-meal,  Buffalo  gluten  feed,  or  wheat 
flour  or  middlings,  when  fed  in  connection  with  the  nitrog- 
enous milk,  to  promote  the  formation  of  fat. 

The  meat  of  the  animals  thus  described  was  quite  white 
in  appearance,  but  not  as  tender  as  calves  that  were  fed 
whole  milk.  The  ribs  and  flanks  of  animals  thus  fed  were 
thinner  than  those  consuming  whole  milk,  and  the  shrinkage 
in  dressing  is  from  5  to  7  per  cent  more. 

Butchers  offered  from  4  to  4i  cents  per  pound  of  live 
weight,  whole-milk  veal  being  worth  at  the  time  5i  to  6 
cents  per  pound.  It  is  to  be  remarked,  however,  that  at 
retail  as  much  per  pound  was  charged  for  the  skim-milk  as 
for  the  whole-milk  veal.  It  will  be  noticed  that  when  skim- 
milk  veal,  so  called,  brought  4  cents  per  pound  of  live  weight, 
an  average  of  0.63  of  a  cent  per  quart,  or  2.52  cents  per  gal- 
lon, was  obtained  for  the  skim-milk  fed;  while  when  live 
weight  brought  4£  cents  per  pound  the  return  for  the  skim- 
milk  was  0.76  of  a  cent  per  quart,  or  3  cents  per  gallon. 
When  the  skim-milk  was  fed  to  pigs,  and  dressed  pork 


138  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

brought  5i  cents  per  pound,  there  was  a  return  of  0.2  of  a 
cent  per  quart  for  the  milk;  and  when  dressed  pork  brought 
7  cents  per  pound,  0.6  of  a  cent  was  obtained  per  quart  for 
the  milk  and  0.7  of  a  cent  was  obtained  when  dressed  pork 
brought  7i  cents  per  pound. 

These  results  are  interesting  and  instructive,  and  worthy 
of  the  careful  consideration  of  dairy  farmers.  "It  must  be 
admitted  that  calves  require  rather  more  attention  than  pigs. 
The  milk  must  not  be  sour  and  must  be  fed  warm,  and  their 
condition  must  be  carefully  watched  lest  they  be  attacked 
with  scours.  A  small  quantity  of  lime  water  added  to  the 
milk  at  each  feeding  seems  to  act  as  a  preventive. 

No  beneficial  results  were  noticed  when  cod-liver  oil  was 
fed  in  small  quantities  to  calf  7.  Its  smell  and  taste  were 
obnoxious  to  the  calf,  and  quite  often  he  refused  the  milk 
containing  it. 

The  experiment  indicates  that  in  order  to  secure  the 
greatest  profit  it  is  not  wise  as  a  rule  to  feed  calves  as  above 
described  after  they  have  reached  160  Ibs.  of  live  weight. 
The  daily  gain  decreases  and  the  food  consumption  steadily 
increases,  so  that  the  commercial  value  of  a  pound  of  live 
weight  is  about  balanced  by  the  cost  of  the  food  consumed  to 
produce  it. 

This  experiment  is  presented  as  the  beginning  of  a  series 
designed  for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  most  economical 
way  in  which  to  feed  skim-milk  to  growing  calves,  especially 
to  calves  intended  for  veal.  Whole  milk  forms  a  complete 
food  for  calves,  and  by  its  use  they  can  be  sold  from  five  to 
seven  weeks  from  birth  in  a  fat  condition.  How  to  secure 
a  food  equal  in  its  effect  to  whole  milk  by  utilizing  the  skim- 
milk  and  substituting  a  cheaper  fattening  material  in  place 
of  the  cream  removed,  is  the  problem  for  future  solution. 

Indiana  station  work.— The  Indiana  Exper- 
iment Station  " Bulletin  No.  47,"  November, 
1893,  reports  the  results  of  four  experiments 
made  in  feeding  calves.  In  experiment  No.  1 
were  two  calves,  one  of  which  was  fed  skim- 


SKIM-MILK.  139 

milk  and  one  whole  milk.  They  were  fed  62 
days.  The  one  fed  skim-milk  consumed  19.3 
Ibs.  per  day  and  gained  78  Ibs.  in  62  days,  a 
daily  gain  of  1J  Ibs.  The  calf  fed  whole  milk 
drank  11.9  Ibs.  per  day  and  gained  73  Ibs.  in  62 
days,  a  daily  gain  of  1.17  Ibs. 

Estimating  the  skim-milk  at  25  cents  per  100 
Ibs.  the  78  Ibs.  of  growth  on  this  calf  cost  $3; 
cost  per  pound,  3.84  cents.  With  the  calf  fed 
whole  milk,  estimating  it  to  be  worth  $1  per 
100  Ibs.,  the  73  Ibs.  of  growth  cost  $7.42,  or  over 
10  cents  per  pound.  These  calves  were  both 
pure-bred  Jerseys.  There  was  but  one  day's 
difference  in  their  ages.  The  one  fed  skim-milk 
was  a  male  and  the  one  fed  whole  milk  a 
female. 

In  experiment  No.  2  pure-bred  Holstein- 
Friesian  male  calves  were  used.  These  calves 
were  fed  61  days.  The  calf  on  skim-milk  diet 
was  fed  23.5  Ibs.  per  day  and  gained  1.77  Ibs. 
per  day.  The  calf  fed  whole  milk  drank  17.6 
Ibs.  daily  and  gained  1.67  Ibs.  per  day.  In  this 
experiment  with  the  calf  fed  skim-milk  the 
growth  cost  3J  cents  per  pound,  estimating  the 
skim-milk  at  25  cents  per  100  Ibs.,  and  the  calf 
fed  whole  milk  made  growth  at  a  cost  of  10^ 
cents  per  pound,  estimating  the  milk  to  be 
worth  $1  per  100  Ibs. 

Two  other  experiments  were  made  in  which 
skim-milk  only  was  fed.  Prof.  Plumb  says  in 
closing: 


140  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Taking  the  average  result  of  the  above  six  calves  fed 
skim-milk,  15.6  Ibs.  skim-milk  produced  a  gain  of  1  Ib.  live 
weight. 

Will  it  pay  to  feed  calves  simply  skim-milk  as  has  been 
done  in  the  above  examples?  The  six  calves  consumtd  9,345 
Ibs.  of  skim-milk  to  make  a  gain  of  598  Ibs.  This  increased 
gain  in  this  locality  would  sell  for  five  cents  a  pound ,  or 
$29.90.  The  milk  drank,  estimating  its  market  value  at  15 
cents  per  100  Ibs.,  would  cost  $14.02,  showing  a  difference  of 
$15.88. 

The  writer  believes  that  a  still  greater  gain  would  have 
been  made  by  these  calves  if  the  fat  removed  from  the  milk 
had  been  replaced  by  flaxseed  or  some  other  substitute. 

Taking  the  growth  of  these  six  calves — 598 
Ibs.,  worth  5  cents  per  pound — we  have  $29.90 
to  be  credited  to  the  9,345  Ibs.  of  skim-milk, 
which  is  32  cents  per  100  Ibs. 

Mississippi  station  work. — The  Mississippi 
Experiment  Station  (report  of  1888,  page  43) 
found  that  calves  receiving  10  Ibs.  of  skim-milk 
made  nearly  as  large  gains  as  those  receiving  8 
Ibs.  of  whole  milk. 

Iowa  station  work. — The  Iowa  Experiment 
Station  in  "Bulletin  No.  14"  reports  the  cost  of 
producing  a  pound  of  gain  (estimating  new 
milk  at  87  cents  per  100  Ibs.,  skim-milk  at  15 
cents  per  100  Ibs.,  grain  at  1  cent  per  pound, 
hay  at  $5  per  ton,  and  flaxseed-meal  at  3J  cents 
per  pound)  was  7.6  cents  for  the  fresh  milk  and 
5  cents  for  the  skim-milk  ration. 

Pennsylvania  station  work. — The  annual 
report  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  College  for 
1891  gives  the  results  of  work  done  with  whole 


SKIM-MILK.  141 

milk  and  skim-milk  fed  to  calves.  In  the  sum- 
mary of  results  they  say:  "Counting  whole 
milk  at  $1  per  100  Ibs.  and  skim-milk  at  12 
cents  per  100  Ibs.^it  cost  9.9  cents  to  make  a 
pound  of  increase  when  whole  milk  was  fed, 
and  3.4  cents  to  make  a  pound  of  increase  when 
skim-milk  was  fed." 

Separator  milk  good.— The  Vermont  Ex- 
periment Station  Report  of  1891  says:  "There 
is  a  belief  quite  prevalent  among  certain 
classes  that  the  separator  has  some  mysterious 
influence  on  the  skim-milk  to  make  it  of  dif- 
ferent quality  from  the  skim-milk  of  ordinary 
setting.  This  difference  is  considered  to  extend 
not  merely  to  the  fat  but  to  influence  the  other 
ingredients.  To  ascertain  the  truth  of  the 
matter  three  samples  of  milk  were  tested  before 
and  after  being  run  through  the  separator." 
After  concluding  the  work  with  the  samples 
the  station  says:  "It  is  evident  from  these  fig- 
ures that  the  milk  serum  is  not  influenced  by 
the  separator  and  that  the  only  difference 
between  the  whole  milk  and  the  skim-milk 
derived  from  ifc  is  in  the  amount  of  fat  they 
contain." 

Buttermilk. — There  is  probably  very  little 
difference  in  the  feeding  value  of  skim-milk 
and  buttermilk.  Some  farmers  prefer  butter- 
milk to  skim-milk.  One  reason  for  this  is  that 
it  does  not  curdle  and  separate  so  quickly -as 


142  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

skim-milk.  Another  reason  is  that  previous  to 
the  introduction  of  the  Babcock  test  the  butter- 
milk contained  considerable  more  fat  than  the 
separator  skim-milk  did.  At^the  present  time 
with  skill  at  the  cream  vat  and  churn  there  is 
not  much  difference  in  the  percentage  of  fat 
in  the  two.  Some  may  ask  what  the  Babcock 
test  has  to  do  with  the  churn  ?  A  great  deal. 
With  it  we  tested  the  buttermilk  daily  and 
commenced  to  investigate  for  the  causes  of  the 
differences  in  different  day's  work  until  we  are 
able  to  churn  nearly  as  close  as  we  can  skim. 

Buttermilk  should  be  fed  carefully  to  young 
pigs,  as  it  is  more  apt  to  physic  than  skim-milk 
is.  Especially  is  this  the  case  with  buttermilk 
from  the  shallow-setting  system.  I  nearly 
ruined  a  bunch  of  fifty  pigs  before  learning 
this.  Since  that  time  I  have  found  old  farmers 
who  had  known  this  for  a  long  time.  Butter- 
milk can  be  safely  fed  to  calves  by  changing 
gradually  from  whole  or  skim-milk,  but  the 
change  must  be  gradual  or  there  will  be 
trouble. 

The  figures  on  the  following  page  from  the 
Vermont  Experiment  Station  report  of  1891 
show  the  analyses  of  skim-milk  and  buttermilk. 

This  work  shows  the  skim-milk  to  have  a 
larger  percentage  of  total  solids  than  the  butter- 
milk, but  the  buttermilk  has  the  largest  per 
cent  of  fat.  The  skim-milk  has  a  trifle  the 


SKIM-MILK. 


143 


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solids. 

»s    S    « 

5 

0 

rH 

o: 

S 

05 

• 

Whole  milk,  average  .  .  . 

Whole  milk,  maximum  . 

Whole  milk,  minimum.  . 

a 
a 

Cream  

Buttermilk  

144  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

most  casein,  albumen,  and  ash,  while  the  but- 
termilk has  the  most  milk  sugar. 

Analyses  made  at  the  Massachusetts  Experi- 
ment Station  show  the  average  total  solids  of 
skim-milk  to  be  9.48  per  cent  and  of  fat  0.39 
per  cent,  and  the  average  total  solids  of  butter- 
milk were  8.33  per  cent  and  of  fat  0.27  per  cent. 

Experiment  station  work. — The  work  done 
by  the  experiment  stations  of  the  United  States 
with  the  object  of  showing  the  feeding  value  of 
skim -milk  and  buttermilk  as  a  food  for  calves 
and  pigs  would  make  a  good-sized  book  and  I 
should  like  to  have  this  work  all  gathered  into 
one  book.  The  fact  that  the  experiment  sta- 
tions have  done  so  much  work  in  this  line  is 
evidence  to  me  that  they  believe  as  I  do — that 
is,  that  the  feeding  value  of  skim-milk  is  not 
appreciated  by  the  average  dairyman. 

I  am  anxious  to  have  some  work  done  to  show 
the  comparative  value  of  sweet  skim-milk  and 
rotten  sour-  milk,  such  as  the  patrons  of  a 
creamery  get  where  the  milk  is  allowed  to  run 
into  an  underground  vat  that  is  seldom  empty 
and  never  cleaned.  There  are  comparatively 
few  creameries  that  handle  their  skim-milk  in 
this  way,  but  those  that  do  ought  to  be  court 
martialed. 


PART  II -CREAMERY  WORK. 


CHAPTER  I. 


CARE  OF  MILK  BY  PATRONS. 

Cooling. — As  fast  as  drawn  the  milk  should 
be  strained  and  some  system  of  cooling  and 
aerating  applied  to  it.  A  cooler  like  the  Star 
cooler  is  very  efficient  for  this  work.  It'can  be 

purchased  of  any  dairy 
implement  dealer.  It 
will  cool  the  milk  with- 
in a  few  degrees  of  the 
temperature  of  the  wa- 
ter used  and  aerate  at 
the  same  time. 

Aerating. — When  the 
milk  cannot  be  both 
cooled  and  aerated  it 
can  certainly  be  aerat- 
ed, as  that  does  not  re- 
quire water.  When 
aerating  be  careful  that  it  is  done  in  a  good  at- 
mosphere, as  it  is  possible  to  do  the  milk  more 
harm  than  good  if  the  atmosphere  is  impure. 
The  general  practice  in  locations  that  I  am 
familiar  with  is  for  patrons  of  creameries,  con- 

(147) 


STAB  COOLER  AND  AERATOR. 


148 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


densed-milk  factories,  and  milk  shippers  to 
have  the  cans  set  in  cold  water  (running  water 
if  it  can  be  had)  and  the  milk  agitated  while 
cooling. 

Agitation.  —  A 
tin  disc  four  in- 
ches in  diameter, 
with  a  galvanized 
wire  handle  about 
thirty  inches  long 
and  used  like  a 
churn  dash,  is  an 
excellent  device  to 
agitate  milk  when 
cooling. 

Vat  for  cans.— 
Have  a  wooden  vat 
a  few  inches  wider 
than  the  cans  and 
deep  enough  to 
have  the  water 
come  as  high  as 
the  milk  in  the 
can.  With  fre- 
quent agitations 
during  the  time  of 
milking  the  milk 
can  be  thoroughly  cooled  with  but  little  time 
spent  about  it. 

As  the  milker  goes  to  the  vat  with  milk  he 


THE  IOWA  CAN. 


CARE  OF  MILK  BY  PATRONS.        149 

should  agitate  the  milk  that  is  already  cooling, 
and  in  this  way  it  is  nearly  all  cooled  when  the 
milking  is  done. 

Do  not  mix. — The  night's  and  morning's  milk 
should  not  be  mixed;  it  should  be  kept  in  sep- 
arate cans.  If  from  any  cause  it  is  necessary 
to  mix  the  two  milks  they  should  be  thorough- 
ly cooled  first.  The  Elgin  condensed-milk  fac- 
tories require  their  milk  to  be  cooled  quickly 
to  55  deg.  and  to  be  delivered  at  the  factory  at 
a  temperature  of  60  deg.  or  below.  This  is  an 
important  part  of  the  patron's  work,  as  the 
creamery  cannot  make  fine  butter  out  of  bad 
milk.  It  is  a  part  of  the  work  that  patrons  are 
inclined  to  neglect,  and  they  apparently  think 
that  if  their  milk  passes  the  weigh  can  they  are 
all  right.  They  are  half  right,  as  the  man  at 
the  weigh  can  should  not  receive  milk  that  is 
not  all  right. 

Return  bad  milk.— It  should  be  returned  to 
the  patron  as  often  as  is  necessary  to  teach  him 
that  bad  milk  will  not  pass.  The  creamery 
man  must  do  this  to  protect  himself  and  the 
other  patrons,  as  one  patron's  bad  milk  would 
act  as  a  ferment  for  the  whole  vat  of  milk  and 
there  would  be  off-flavored  butter,  making  a 
loss  for  some  one  and  a  loss  of  reputation  to 
the  man  operating  the  creamery,  as  poor  butter 
will  not  pass  on  the  good  reputation  of  the 
maker. 


150  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

Unnecessary  loss. — I  have  in  my  mind  a 
creamery  that  lost  over  four  hundred  dollars  in 
one  month  through  poor  butter.  The  cause  I 
do  not  know,  but  it  could  have  been  prevented, 
no  matter  what  the  cause,  for  if  none  but  good 
milk  had  been  received  and  the  work  properly 
done  the  butter  would  have  been  all  right  and 
the  loss  would  not  have  occurred.  Now  the 
party  must  establish  confidence  in  his  goods 
again  after  he  has  overcome  the  trouble,  and 
his  customers  will  be  a  long  time  in  regaining 
full  confidence,  as  they  will  think  he  stumbled 
once  and  may  again.  Perhaps  this  is  not  quite 
in  place  here,  but  I  write  it  to  show  patrons 
that  they  have  a  responsibility  in  the  matter 
beyond  simply  getting  their  milk  into  the 
weigh  can. 

Spring  wagons  necessary. — Milk  should  be 
drawn  to  the  creamery  or  its  destination  in  a 
spring  wagon  to  prevent  churning  and  to  save 
the  cans.  I  have  seen  milk  that  had  been 
drawn  a  long  distance  without  springs  that  had 
become  churned  and  butter  was  floating  on  the 
top.  This  makes  a  loss,  as  the  butter  thus 
churned  cannot  be  utilized.  The  saving  in  cans 
and  on  horses  will  pay  well  for  the  springs. 

Canvas  covers. — All  milk  delivery  wagons 
should  have  a  cover  of  some  kind.  A  canvas 
or  ducking  cover  will  do  good  service  and  is 
quite  generally  used  as  a  protection  in  summer 


CARE  OF  MILK  BY  PATRONS.        151 

from  heat  and  in  winter  from  cold.  Be  cleanly 
about  your  work  and  deliver  your  milk  in 
prime  condition,  and  then  you  have  a  right  to 
demand  good  returns.  Very  few  realize  how 
susceptible  milk  is  to  absorbing  any  impurities 
there  may  be  in  the  atmosphere. 

Milk  absorbing  odors. — In  one  instance  I 
found  milk  that  was  not  just  right  and  I  could 
not  tell  positively  what  the  trouble  was  until  I 
took  some  of  it  and  warmed  to  110  deg.,  when 
I  could  detect  the  odor  of  the  hog-pen.  I  sent 
word  by  the  driver  of  the  load  for  the  man  to 
come  in,  as  I  wanted  to  see  him.  When  he 
came  I  learned  from  him  that  he  put  his  night's 
milk  in  an  open  vat  in  a  room  a  short  distance 
from  his  hog-pen  and  left  the  windows  open  to 
cool  the  room.  The  result  was  that  when  the 
wind  blew  from  the  hog-pen  toward  the  milk- 
house  the  milk  received  the  hog-pen  odor  and 
brought  it  to  the  creamery.  A  gentleman  in 
Vermont  told  me  of  his  experience  with  a 
skunk  around  the  milk-house.  When  his  but- 
ter arrived  in  Boston  his  commission  man  de- 
tected the  skunk  odor  in  the  butter. 

Bad  conditions. — Milk  will  not  only  absorb 
impurities  after  being  drawn  from  the  cow,  but 
it  may  be  spoiled  before  by  filthy  surround- 
ings of  the  cow.  I  have  known  of  milk  being 
spoiled  by  the  carcass  of  a  dead  animal  lying 
in  the  cow  pasture.  1  once  traced  trouble  with 


152  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

my  butter  to  a  row  of  calves  that  were  tied  in 
front  of  the  cows  of  a  patron  and  were  not  kept 
clean  or  dry.  This  impure  atmosphere  that  the 
cows  were  breathing  contaminated  the  milk. 
The  butter  was  not  very  bad  when  new  but  it 
went  to  the  bad  at  a  very  rapid  rate,  and  in  a 
few  days  was  not  fit  to  use. 

After  the  milk  is  thoroughly  cooled,  if  to  be 
kept  in  a  pure  atmosphere  leave  the  can  covers 
off,  but  if  the  air  is  not  good  put  the  covers  on 
the  cans,  or  what  is  better,  remove  it  to  some 
place  where  the  air  is  good.  Very  few  dairy- 
men realize  how  readily  milk  absorbs  odors. 
To  unbelievers  I  would  say  to  convince  you, 
take  an  open  dish  with  milk  in  it  and  put  it  in 
some  place  exposed  to  bad  odors  for  a  few 
hours;  then  warm  the  sample  of  milk  to  a  tem- 
perature of  110  or  120  deg.  and  you  will  find 
that  a  person  who  is  acquainted  with  the  odor 
it  has  been  exposed  to  can  tell  you  where  the 
milk  has  been.  There  are  plenty  of  places 
where  you  can  put  this  milk  to  make  the  test; 
for  instance,  in  the  vegetable  cellar  or  by  the 
cook  stove  when  cooking  vegetables,  or  you 
may  set  it  away  with  the  kerosene  oil-can.  I 
advise  all  that  are  skeptical  on  this  point  to  try 
it.  Do  not  say  you  do  not  believe  it.  That 
proves  nothing.  I  once  traced  bad-flavored 
milk  to  hay  from  the  bottom  of  a  mow  where 
it  had  lain  on  the  ground  and  become  moldy. 


CARE  OF  MILK  BY  PATRONS.        153 

I  remember  in  my  early  experience  of  buy- 
ing butter  at  my  grocery  store  that  I  could 
taste  mayweed  in  very  distinctly.  How  that 
flavor  got  there  T  never  learned  but  supposed 
the  cows  ate  the  weed. 

An  object  lesson. — At  a  dairy  school  in  1892 
we  one  day  let  a  can  of  bloody  milk  go  into  the 
day's  work  to  show  the  class  the  result.  We 
found  bloody  matter  on  the  wall  of  the  sepa- 
rator and  a  very  bad  flavor  to  the  cream  the 
next  morning.  We  also  found  the  same  flavor 
in  the  butter,  and  we  immediately  disposed  of 
the  butter  on  its  merits. 

I  think  I  have  given  enough  facts  about  the 
susceptibility  of  milk  and  cream  to  absorb 
odors  from  the  surrounding  atmosphere  to  con- 
vince any  unbelievers.  If  not  they  must  be  con- 
vinced by  some  one  else  or  go  their  own  wTay 
until  they  get  an  experience  that  costs  them 
enough  to  cause  them  to  remember  it.  Many 
of  us  are  so  constructed  that  we  cannot  profit 
by  others'  experience;  we  do  not  appreciate  in- 
formation that  costs  us  nothing. 


CHAPTER  II. 


RECEIVING  MILK  AT  CREAMERY. 

The  person  receiving  milk  at  a  creamery  is 
filling  an  important  position.  A  lack  of  care, 
good  judgment,  or  decision  may  cause  trouble 
with  all  the  work  in  the  creamery.  It  requires 
constant  care  to  hold  the  patrons  up  to  grade 
with  their  milk  so  far  as  condition  goes.  There 
are  always  a  few  negligent  ones  that  must  be 
watched,  as  they  will  not  cool  nor  aerate  unless 
compelled  to;  neither  will  they  keep  their  cans 
clean  unless  looked  after. 

Need  of  tact. — It  requires  considerable  tact 
to  handle  a  lot  of  patrons  without  friction. 
Most  any  person  can  empty  cans  and  weigh 
milk,  but  this  is  not  the  vital  part  of  the  work. 
We  must  refuse  to  receive  milk  that  we  cannot 
make  fine  butter  from.  I  have  done  a  little 
work  in  the  line  of  pasteurizing — enough  to 
satisfy  me  that  there  are  great  possibilities  in 
the  near  future.  Some  of  our  experiment  sta- 
tions are  at  work  in  this  line  and  we  shall  have 
valuable  information  from  that  source  in  the 
near  future  without  doubt.  Get  your  names 

(154) 


RECEIVING   MILK   AT   CREAMERY.  155 

on  the  mailing  list  of  your  experiment  station. 
Keep  in  touch  with  them;  they  will  do  you 
good  if  you  will  let  them  have  an  opportunity. 
We  must  not  on  any  account  lose  our  grip 
here.  The  idea  of  needing  anything  in  this 
line  to  enable  us  to  make  fine  butter  creates  a 
small  rebellion  in  my  mind,  as  I  fear  it  would 
stimulate  the  negligent  element. 

The  expert. — It  is  interesting  to  watch  an 
expert  at  the  weigh  can.  His  nose  becomes  as 
sensitive  to  bad  odors  as 
a  trained  hunting  dog's 
for  game.  He  acts  with- 
out thinking.  If  there 
'is  anything  suspicious 
the  can  cover  goes  to  his 
nose  or  his  nose  to  the 
can  and  when  the  can  isj 
emptied  his  hand  goes] 
into  the  can  and  his 
thumb-nail  is  run  around  WEIGH  CAN- 

the  corners  for  indications  of  uncleanliness, 
which  when  found  causes  the  patron  to  receive 
warning  that  more  care  is  necessary,  or  per- 
haps the  milk  is  too  much  off  flavor  and  is  re- 
turned to  the  patron. 

Need  of  decision. — There  must  be  no  slip- 
shod work  here,  no  excusing  of  neglect  on  the 
part  of  the  patrons.  There  is  too  much  at 
stake,  as  one  lot  of  poor  milk  might  injure  the 


156  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

whole  day's  goods.  Any  bad  flavor  develops 
fast  and  breeds  trouble  and  loss.  Do  not  re- 
ceive bad  milk  from  any  one.  If  the  patron 
gets  angry  and  talks  hatefully  put  the  brake 
on  your  tongue  and  let  him.  do  all  the  talking. 
He  will  soon  get  tired  and  quit.  If  you  cannot 
convince  him  that  his  milk  is  in  bad  condition 
warm  a  sample  of  it  to  120  cleg.;  it  will  then 
give  off  its  bad  flavor  so  plainly  that  he  must 
be  convinced  if  he  has  any  use  of  his  nose. 

Absorbing  bad  odors. — At  a  dairy  school  I 
once  had  a  sample  of  milk  set  in  a  calf  pen  for 
a  few  hours,  then  warmed  to  110  cleg.  Fah.  and 
passed  around  the  class,  which  knew  nothing 
about  where  it  had  been  exposed.  It  was  in- 
teresting to  watch  the  expressions  of  the  dif- 
ferent faces;  some  were  surprised  and  some 
disgusted.  At  another  time  I  had  a  sample  put 
into  the  silo  for  a  short  time  and  when  brought 
to  the  class  at  a  temperature  of  110  deg.  Fah. 
they  all  found  the  flavor  of  silage  in  the  milk, 
and  all  that  were  acquainted  with  silage  recog- 
nized its  flavor  in  the  milk. 

Taking  composite  samples. — Most  of  the 
creameries  are  now  paying  for  milk  on  its 
butter  value.  This  is  the  longest  step  in  ad- 
vance that  has  been  taken  in  the  dairy  and 
creamery  field.  The  man  at  the  weigh  can  is 
the  one  that  starts  this  part  of  the  work  on  its 
way,  as  he  takes  the  sample  that  is  to  be  tested 


RECEIVING   MILK   AT   CREAMERY.  157 

to  show  the  comparative  value  of  each  patron's 
milk.  This  requires  care.  Nearly  all  cream- 
eries are  now  using  the  composite  plan  of  test- 
ing, which  need  not  be  described.  This  re- 
quires a  sample  to  be  taken  every  day  and  put 
into  the  composite  jars.  These  samples  are 
taken  in  various  ways;  some  dip  out  of  the 
weigh  can  as  soon  as  the  milk  is  emptied,  de- 
pending on  the  pouring  of  the  milk  into  the 
can  to  do  the  mixing.  Others  take  a  sample 
with  a  tube  or  "milk  thief,"  which  takes  a 


"MILK  THIEF." 

column  of  milk  out  of  the  can,  and  some  tap 
the  conductor  head  and  set  a  cup  under  it  so 
as  to  to  get  a  small  stream  as  the  can  empties. 
Scovell's  sampling  tube. — Prof.  Scovell  in- 
troduced in  the  work  of  the  Columbian  dairy 
test  a  novel  and  practical  device — a  tube  with 
openings  in  the  side  at  the  bottom  and  a  cap 


SCOVELL'S  SAMPLING  TUBE. 

that  when  pulled  out  left  the  holes  open  for 
filling.  This  could  be  inserted  in  the  milk, 
filling  as  it  was  lowered  and  when  it  touched 
bottom  a  slight  pressure  forced  the  cap  up  over 
the  openings  so  as  to  prevent  the  escape  of  any 
of  the  milk  until  removed  from  the  can.  This 


158  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

device  not  only  secures  a  correct  sample  of  the 
milk  but  it  also  secures  the  same  per  cent  or 
relative  amount  of  milk,  as  it  gets  twice  as 
much  in  the  sample  when  the  weigh  can  is  full 
as  it  will  when  it  is  half  full. 

Preserving  samples. — Bichromate  of  potash 
gives  the  best  satisfaction  as  a  preservative  of 
anything  I  have  used.  It  keeps  the  cream  in 
a  fluid  condition  and  it  does  not  adhere  to  the 
cans  in  which  the  composite  samples  are  kept. 
With  some  of  the  preservatives  the  cream  be- 
comes so  leathery  that  it  requires  much  care  to 
secure  a  correct  sample  out  of  the  composite 
jar  for  testing. 

Danger  of  too  much  heat. — I  have  found  it 
necessary  to  heat  such  milk  to  near  the  point 
of  melting  the  fat,  and  when  the  fat  is  melted 
it  is  very  hard  to  get  a  correct  sample,  as  the 
oil  made  by  melting  the  fat  will  rise  so 
rapidly  that  it  requires  quick  work  to  catch  a 
correct  sample.  Do  not  get  the  impression  that 
there  is  any  serious  difficulty  connected  with 
doing  accurate  work  all  along  this  line;  it  sim- 
ply needs  care  and  good  common  sense  with  a 
determination  not  to  be  hurried. 

Keep  cool. — As  a  rule  the  person  at  the 
weigh  can  has  several  lines  of  the  work  to  keep 
on  his  mind.  In  many  cases  he  has  the  boiler 
and  engine  and  the  separators  to  look  after  as 
well  as  the  weigh  can.  The  machinery  must 


RECEIVING    MILK   AT   CREAMERY.  159 

have  attention  and  the  patron  is  often  in  a 
hurry  and  demands  that  his  milk  shall  be 
emptied  in  about  five  seconds  after  he  drives 
up  to  the  receiving-room.  Many  men  do  not 
have  a  faculty  of  properly  dividing  their  atten- 
tion between  the  different  lines  of  their  work. 
Some  will  be  hurried  by  the  call  of  some  loud- 
mouthed patron  and  neglect  the  separator  or 
some  other  machinery,  and  get  caught  with 
low  water  in  the  boiler  or  a  hot  bearing  in  the 
separator.  Another  man  will  go  to  the  other 
extreme  and  become  irritated  by  the  over- 
anxious patron  and  cause  him  to  wait  unneces- 
sarily long  just  to  get  even  with  him  or  teach 
him  he  is  not  running  that  part  of  the  work. 
I  meet  both  these  extremes  in  our  creamery 
work,  and  they  both  show  a  weak  point  in  the 
make-up  of  the  person  and  it  should  be  a  study 
on  his  part  to'  overcome  it.  It  will  pay  him  to 
do  this. 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE  BABCOCK  MILK  TEST. 

(BY   E.  H.    FARRINGTON.) 

One  thing  that  surprised  the  writer  during 
his  six  months  of  milk  testing  at  the  World's 
Fair  was  the  ignorance  displayed  by  so  many 
agricultural  visitors  in  regard  to  the  Babcock 
test.  Many  had  never  heard  of  it. 

Satisfactory  to  scientists. — When  the  in- 
ventor gave  this  method  of  milk  testing  to  the 
public  it  was  first  tried  by  chemists  of  experi- 
ment stations  or  persons  who  were  somewhat 
familiar  with  the  chemical  actions  involved  in 
the  process.  They  found  the  results  obtained 
by  it  were  accurate  as  compared  with  those  of 
the  gravimetric  methods  they  had  previously 
used  for  getting  the  per  cent  of  fat  in  milk; 
and  to  them  the  making  of  a  test  was  wonder- 
fully simple.  The  directions  first  sent  out  by 
Dr,  Babcock  with  the  test  were  sufficient  in- 
structions for  that  class  of  workers  to  get  good 
results. 

Not  automatic. — As  its  field  of  usefulness 
broadened  and  the  men  who  milked  the  cows 

(160) 


THE  BABCOCK  MILK  TEST.         161 

began  to  use  the  tester  it  was  soon  discovered 
that  the  Babcock  milk  test  was  not  an  auto- 
matic machine.  Although  very  simple  to  a 
chemist,  it  was  found  not  to  be  like  a  clock 
which  only  needed  to  be  wound  up  and  left  to 
run  itself  for  ten  minutes  to  give  accurate  re- 
sults, but  the  wheels  must  be  watched,  the 
milk  properly  mixed,  and  the  strength  of  the 
acid  correct. 

Any  milk  can  be  tested. — It  has  generally 
been  supposed  to  be  easier  to  test  a  mixture  of 
the  milk  of  several  cows  than  the  milk  of  one 
cow,  and  that  possibly  there  might  be  found  a 
cow's  milk  which  could  not  be  successfully 
tested.  The  milk  of  each  of  107  cows  was 
tested  at  the  World's  Fair,  and  for  four  months 
there  were  made  at  least  150  tests  of  milk 
every  day.  This  gave  many  tests  of  a  great 
variety  of  milks.  There  was  a  great  variation 
in  the  composition  of  these  milks  and  in  the 
characteristics  and  health  of  the  cows.  We 
were  able  to  test  successfully  every  one  of 
these  samples  of  milk  and  by  proper  manipu- 
lation to  get  a  very  clear  separation  of  the  fat. 

Investigate. — Any  one  who  uses  a  Babcock 
test  may  profit  by  our  experience  in  two  points 
at  least.  First,  he  can  have  perfect  confidence 
in  the  process  as  described  by  Dr.  Babcock,  that 
it  has  given  and  can  give  satisfactory  tests  of 

milk;  and  second,  that  if  any  one  has  trouble 
11 


162  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

with  the  test  he  can  find  out  the  difficulty  him- 
self. Investigate  for  yourselves.  Find  a  reason 
for  occasional  poor  separations  of  the  fat,  if 
you  have  them.  You  can  find  a  remedy  your- 
self just  as  well  as  by  applying  to  Dr.  Babcock. 

A  frequent  difficulty. — The  inquiries  con- 
tained in  some  of  the  dairy  papers  seem  to  in- 
dicate that  black  or  white  stuff  separating  with 
the  fat  is  the  difficulty  most  frequently  met 
with.  This  makes  an  obscure  reading  of  the 
per  cent  of  fat  because  of  the  indistinct  separa- 
tion of  the  liquids.  The  common  remedy  sug- 
gested for  this  difficulty  has  been  a  change  of 
acid.  If  there  is  "black  stuff"  in  the  fat  get  a 
weaker  acid;  if  a  white  curd  separates  in  the 
fat  column  change  to  a  stronger  acid.  That  a 
too  strong  or  a  too  weak  acid  may  cause  this 
trouble  is  undoubtedly  correct  in  many  cases, 
but  not  always.  The  manipulations  of  the  test 
may  also  cause  these  defects. 

Points  to  be  watched. — My  experience  with 
the  Babcock  test  has  taught  me  to  follow  the 
directions  given  by  the  originator  of  the  method, 
and  in  doing  so  to  keep  a  watchful  eye  on  the 
following  points: 

1.  Mixing  and  temperature  of  the  milk. 

2.  Strength,  temperature,  and  quantity  of  the 
acid. 

3.  The  way  of  pouring  the  acid  into  the  milk 
in  the  test  bottle. 


THE   BABCOCK   MILK   TEST.  163 

4.  Mixing  the  milk  and  acid  in  the  test  bot- 
tle. 

5.  Adding  the  hot  water,  kind  of  water — hard 
or  soft. 

6.  Measuring  the  fat. 

7.  The  speed  of  the  machine. 

8.  Keep  the  acid  bottle  corked  when  not  in 
use. 

These  are  not  given  in  the  order  of  their  im- 
portance, neither  are  they  supposed  to  cover 
every  difficulty  that  may  be  met  with  in  the 
use  of  the  Babcock  test.  They  represent  some 
things  that  have  had  an  influence  on  the  proper 
working  of  the  test  and  there  is  a  reason  for 
every  one  of  them. 

1.  A  thorough  mixing  of  the  milk,  so  that  the 
fat  is  evenly  distributed  all  through  the  sample 
to  be  tested,  is  sufficiently  obvious  and  needs  no 
explanation. 

2.  The  intensity  of  the  action  of  the  acid  on 
the  milk  is  shown  by  the  fat  separation  in  the 
neck  of  the  test  bottle,  either  by  the  color  of 
the  fat  or  by  the  black  or  white  stuff  that  some- 
times separates  at  the  bottom  of  the  fat  column. 
The  black  substance  is  probably  charred  fat  and 
indicates  too  strong  an  action  of  the  acid  on 
the  milk.     The  white  adulteration  of  the  fat 
shows  too  weak  a  reaction.     The  strength,  tem- 
perature, and  quantity  of  the  acid  used,  as  well 
as  the  temperature  of  the  milk,  all  have  an  in- 


164  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

fluence  on  the  action  of  the  acid  on  the  milk. 
Too  strong  acid  and  warm  acid  or  milk  may  be 
the  cause  of  the  black  stuff  in  the  fat.  Hence 
it  may  be  advisable  to  use  a  little  less  acid,  or 
cool  either  the  milk  or  acid,  or  both,  before 
mixing  the  two  liquids  in  the  test  bottle.  On 
the  other  hand  if  a  white  curdy  substance  sep- 
arates with  the  fat  this  may  be  remedied  by 
using  a  little  more  than  the  graduated  full  of 
acid  or  by  warming  the  milk  or  acid  10  to  20 
deg.  before  making  the  test.  None  of  these 
precautions  will  be  necessary  if  the  acid  has  a 
specific  gravity  of  1.82  and  both  milk  and  acid 
are  at  60  to  70  deg.  Fah.  when  used. 

3.  When  measuring  the  acid  into  the  test 
bottle  hold  it  at  an  angle  which  will  cause  the 
acid  to  follow  the  inside  walls  to  the  bottom 
and  not  drop  through  the  milk  in  the  center  of 
the  bottle,  because  by  the  latter  way  of  pouring 
the  acid  a  portion  of  the  milk  may  be  acted  on 
by  the  strong  acid  before  it  is  diluted  by  the 
water  of  the  milk.  This  makes  a  more  intense 
action  of  the  acid  on  a  small  part  of  the  milk, 
and  the  fat  it  contains  is  somewhat  decomposed 
and  blackened.  This  black  substance  is  then 
separated  with  the  fat  by  the  usual  method  of 
finishing  the  test.  If  properly  poured  into  the 
test  bottle  there  will  be  a  distinct -layer  of  milk 
and  acid  with  little  or  no  black  color  between 
them. 


THE  BABCOCK  MILK  TEST.         165 

4.  Thorougly  mix  the  milk  and  acid  as  soon 
as  measured  into  the  test  bottle.    This  is  not 
always  necessary,  but  for  the  same  reason  just 
mentioned  a  better  separation  of  fat  is  some- 
times obtained  by  mixing  at  once  than  by  allow- 
ing the  two  liquids  to  stand  partially  mixed  in 
the  bottle,  as  often  happens  when  the  acid  is 
poured  into  the  test  bottle. 

5.  Add  the  hot  water  in  two  portions  and 
run  the  centrifuge  after  each  addition  of  water. 
Use  soft  water  for  this  purpose  because  many 
hard  waters  contain  so  much  carbonate  of  lime 
that  the  carbonic  acid  set  free  by  the  sulphuric 
acid  makes  considerable  foam  at  the  top  of  the 
fat  column.     Some  waters  can  be  used  to  fill 
the  test  bottles  without  causing  any  foam  if 
first  boiled  a  short  time  or  by  adding  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  acid  to  about  one   quart  of  the 
water  used  for  filling  the  test  bottles. 

6.  When  the  test  bottles  are  taken  from  the 
machine  it  is  a  good  plan  to  put  them  into 
water  at  140  to  160  deg.  Fah.     The  fat  is  kept 
liquid  at  this  temperature.     Each  end  of  the 
fat    column    can    be   distinctly  seen   and   its 
amount  measured. 

7.  Too  low  results  will  be  obtained  if  the 
centrifuge  does  not  have  sufficient  speed.    The 
machines  have  to  be  watched,  as  constant  use 
wears  some  of  them  so  that  the  speed  designed 
by  the  manufacturer  is  not  obtained. 


166  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

8.  Keep  the  acid  bottle  corked  when  not  in 
use,  because  sulphuric  acid  takes  up  water  from 
the  air  and  is  thus  diluted  or  weakened. 

9.  When  testing  skim-milks  and  buttermilks 
which  have  a  very  small  per  cent  of  fat  (two- 
tenths  of  one  per  cent  or  less)  the  reading  of 
the  per  cent  of  fat  should  be  made  immediately 
on  taking  the  test  bottle  from  the  centrifuge. 
If  this  is  not  done  and  the  test  bottle  cools  be- 
fore taking  the  reading  the  contraction  of  the 
liquid  in  the  bottle  will  leave  the  fat  spread 
over  the  inside  surface  of  the  measuring  tube 
so  that  it  is  not  seen  but  has  the  appearance  of 
being  only  a  dirty  tube.     If  read  when  taken 
from  the  machine  the  small  fat  globules  can  be 
seen  and  estimated. 

The  Babcock  tested  and  proved. — The  Bab- 
cock  milk  test  was  one  of  the  things  that  made 
a  "ten-strike"  at  the  World's  Fair.  It  went 
through  a  trial  which  gave  it  a  very  thorough 
test.  An  understanding  of  the  daily  records 
made  by  this  test  at  the  World's  Fair  ought  to 
convince  any  fair-minded  person  that  the  Bab- 
cock  milk  test  deserves  the  highest  award. 
Some  who  had  previously  expressed  doubts 
about  its  accuracy  and  practicability  freely  con- 
fessed their  conversion.  The  awards  given  in 
the  last  or  heifer  test  were  based  on  the  amount 
of  butter-fat  found  in  the  different  cows'  milk 
by  the  Babcock  milk  tester. 


THE  BABCOCK  MILK  TEST.        167 

The  milk  given  by  each  cow  was  tested  daily 
through  all  the  different  tests  from  May  to 
November.  During  the  two  butter  tests  the 
skim-milk,  buttermilk  and  butter  were  also 
analyzed.  The  amount  of  fat  in  these  three 
products  should  be  equal  to  that  found  by  the 
tests  of  the  milk  from  which  they  came.  Dur- 
ing these  butter  tests  three  balance  sheets  of 
this  kind  were  made  daily,  making  a  total  of 
360  accounts. 

Each  of  these  accounts  included  tests  of 
twenty-five  samples  of  milk  on  one  side,  and  on 
the  other  tests  of  one  sample  each  of  skim- 
milk  and  buttermilk  and  an  analysis  of  one 
sample  of  butter.  The  difference  between 
these  two  records  of  the  butter-fat  was  called 
mechanical  loss.  Sometimes  it  was  gain. 

Figures  from  the  test.— The  complete  rec- 
ords are  not  yet  available,  but  the  writer  has 
312  of  the  total  360  comparisons  which  can  be 
made.  These  include  120  Jersey,  90  Guernsey 
and  102  Short-horn  records.  They  show  the 
following  results: 

The  number  of  times  there  was  a  mecnanical 
gain  was — Jersey  42,  Guernsey  22  and  Short- 
horn 19  per  cent  of  the  whole  number  of  days. 
The  greatest  gain  observed  on  any  day  was  for 
the  Jersey  1.22,  Guernsey  1.31  and  Short-horn 
0.81  Ib.  fat.  The  greatest  loss  was  Jersey  1.93, 
Guernsey  1.63  and  Short-horn  1.26  Ib.  fat.  The 


168  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

average  weight  of  fat  unaccounted  for  daily 
was  Jersey  0.35,  Guernsey  0.37  and  Short-horn 
0.38  Ib.  These  weights  of  fat  were  for  the 
Jersey  0.9,  Guernsey  1.2  and  Short-horn  1.4  per 
cent  of  the  total  weight  of  fat  produced  daily 
during  the  ninety-day  test,  or  for  the  Jersey 
0.043,  Guernsey  0.054  and  Short-horn  0.052  per 
cent  of  the  milk  produced  per  day  in  the  ninety- 
day  test. 

Considering  the  great  difficulty  of  getting  a 
fair  sample  of  forty  pounds  or  more  of  butter, 
the  analysis  of  which  must  come  into  every 
one  of  these  360  accounts,  and  the  fact  that  the 
fat  is  measured  in  the  test  bottles  instead  of 
weighed,  these  results  show  very  close  work, 
not  only  by  all  the  men  connected  with  the 
Columbian  dairy  test  but  also  by  the  Babcock 
milk  test. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


TEMPERING  AND  SEPARATING. 

Tempering  milk  for  separating  is  apparently 
a  very  simple  matter.  At  the  same  time  there 
is  a  right  way  and  a  wrong  way  of  doing  it. 

Sudden  heating.— Sudden  heating  is  not  ad- 
visable, as  milk  so  heated  separates  harder  thcin 
milk  that  has  been  gradually  heated.  This  is 
no  theory.  It  is  a  hard  fact  that  I  discovered 
in  comparing  the  work  of  different  creameries. 
The  theoretical  part  comes  in  when  I  try  to 
explain  why  this  is  a  fact.  This  point  devel- 
oped as  follows:  In  one  of  our  creameries  we 
heated  the  milk  for  the  separator  with  a  jet 
pump,  which  does  its  work  very  suddenly.  In 
another  creamery  the  milk  was  heated  mostly 
in  the  receiving  vat.  By  the  use  of  the  Bab- 
cock  test  I  found  the  most  thorough  skimming 
was  being  done  at  the  creamery  where  the  milk 
was  heated  in  the  large  vat  to  near  the  proper 
temperature  and  finished  up  in  the  channel 
vat.  The  jet  pump  was  in  use  in  our  home 
creamery  where  I  had  the  very  best  opportu- 
nity to  watch  the  work,  but  I  could  not  secure 

(169) 


170  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

as  good  skimming  as  I  did  at  the  other  cream- 
ery. 

The  cause. — I  studied  for  the  cause  of  this 
for  some  time  before  the  idea  came  to  me  that 
the  manner  of  warming  the  milk  might  have 
something  to  do  with  the  thoroughness  of  the 
separating.  As  soon  as  this  thought  came  to 
me  I  commenced  to  warm  the  milk  at  the 
home  creamery  in  the  large  vat  and  I  found 
the  separators  doing  as  good  work  as  at  the 
othery  creamery  where  the  milk  was  warmed 
slowly.  My  theoretical  explanation  of  the  situ- 
ation is  that  the  sudden  heating  expands  the 
water  in  the  milk  faster  than  it  does  the  fat 
and  consequently  there  is  not  the  difference  in 
gravity  of  the  cream  and  other  elements  in  the 
sudden  heated  milk  that  there  is  in  the  gradu- 
ally heated  milk  where  there  has  been  time  for 
the  fats  to  become  of  the  same  temperature  as 
the  other  elements  in  the  milk. 

Channel  vat. — It  is  not  practicable  in  warm 
weather  to  do  much  warming  in  the  receiving 
vat.  In  fact  it  is  not  necessary  as  a  rule  to 
warm  the  milk  in  hot  weather  for  separating. 
I  believe  the  channel  vat  to  be  the  best  device 
for  tempering  milk  for  separating. 

Be  sure  to  secure  this  vat  of  a  capacity  that 
will  not  require  forcing  to  get  the  milk  to  the 
proper  temperature.  If  the  tempering  vat  is 
too  small  the  waters  surrounding  it  will  need 


TEMPERING  AND  SEPARATING.       171 

to  be  so  hot  to  secure  the  right  temperature  of 
the  milk  that  it  will  cook  the  milk  onto  the 
vat.  This  is  objectionable  and  unnecessary. 
Eighty  to  85  deg.  is  a  good  temperature  at 
which  to  separate. 

Quick  cooling. — It  may  be  done  at  a  higher 
temperature  when  there  is  a  way  of  cooling 
the  cream  immediately  to  a  temperature  of  55 
deg.  or  below.  This  is  a  vital  point  in  the  work 
and  one  that  many  butter-makers  stumble  over. 


ALPHA  TEMPERING  VAT. 


Care  of  separator. — When  the  milk  has  been 
tempered  to  the  desired  temperature  it  is  ready 
to  separate.  The  separator  is  run  at  a  high 
velocity  and  needs  good  care.  Be  sure  that  the 
bearings  are  all  well  oiled  before  it  is  started, 
and  especially  is  this  necessary  with  a  new  ma- 
chine as  the  parts  are  all  new  and  they  fit  close. 
There  is  more  danger  of  heating  a  new  ma- 
chine than  after  it  has  ran  a  time.  Follow  in- 
structions sent  with  the  separators.  Do  not  be 


172 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


too  ready  to  get  an  idea  that  you  know  more 
about  operating  the  separator  than  the  man 


ALPHA  NO.  1   BELT  POWER. 


that  invented  it,  for  the  probability  is  you  do 
not  and  never  will. 


TEMPERING    AND   SEPARATING.  173 

Smooth  running  necessary.— A  separator 
must  run  smoothly  to  do  its  best  work;  when 


ALPHA   NO.  1   STEAM  TURBINE. 


it  trembles  or  shakes  it  is  not  doing  its  best 
work  and  it  should  be  put  in  order  immediately. 


174 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


You  cannot  afford  to  let  .2  of  1  per  cent  of  fat 
get  away  in  the  skim-milk.  There  should 
never  be  fat  enough  in  separator  skim-milk  to 
cover  the  surface  in  the  neck  of  the  test  bottle, 
and  as  an  average  of  work  done  there  should 
be  no  more  than  two  or  three  drops  of  fat  the 
size  of  pin  heads  around  the  neck  of  the  test 
bottle.  I  know  it  to 
be  thoroughly  prac- 
ticable to  do  this  kind 
of  skimming  as  I  see 
it  done  day  after  clay 
and  many  creameries 
are  doing  it. 

Babcock  test.  - 
Look  out  for  the  mo- 
tion of  your  Babcock 
tester;  also  the  tem- 
perature. If  the  mo- 
tion is  too  low  it  will 
not  secure  all  of  the 
fat  and  you  will  de- 
ceive yourself  on  your 
work.  It  is  advis- 
able to  secure  a  rich 
cream.  Some  of  the  reasons  for  this  are  ex- 
plained in  the  next  chapter. 

Clean  vs.  close  skimming. — There  is  a  great 
difference  in  separators  in  this  matter  of  close 
skimming  and  clean  skimming.  Some  will 


SHARPLES  RUSSIAN  SEPARATOR. 


TEMPERING    AND    SEPARATING. 


175 


take  a  smaller  percentage  of  the  milk  as  cream 
and  still  do  more  efficient  work  than  others 
will.  This  is  an  important  point,  one  reason  of 
which  is  the  fact  that  in  hot  weather  there  is 
danger  of  cream  becoming  too  sour  to  make 
high-flavored  butter,  and  cream  rich  in  fat  does 
not  sour  or  ripen  so  fast  as  cream  poor  in  fat. 


DANISH-WESTOX  CREAM  COOLER 


A  cream  with  35  per  cent  of  fat  in  it  might  in 
extreme  hot  weather  have  the  right  degree  of 
acid  at  churning  time  to  produce  the  best  re- 
sults when  if  the  separator  had  been  adjusted 
to  take  a  cream  with  15  or  20  per  cent  of  fat  it 
would,  under  the  same  conditions  as  to  tem- 
perature and  time,  have  developed  a  degree  of 


176 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


acidity  that  would  have  injured  the  flavor  of 
the  butter  and  probably  caused  a  larger  loss  of 
fat  in  the  buttermilk. 


Cool  quickly. — As    fast    as    separated    the 
cream  should  be  run  over  a  cooler  of  some 


TEMPERING  AND  SEPARATING.       177 

style  that  will  cool  very  quickly  to  the  tem- 
perature of  55  cleg,  or  below.  This  is  a  great 
help  to  the  flavor  of  the  butter.  It  helps  very 
much  to  prevent  the  "summery"  flavor  or  lack 
of  flavor  in  extreme  hot  weather.  I  consider 
the  immediate  cooling  of  the  cream  from  the 
separator  one  of  the  vital  points  in  butter- 
making. 

Capacity  of  separator.  —  The  quantity  of 
milk  a  separator  will  skim  per  hour  depends 
on  the  temperature  of  the  milk,  the  time  since 
the  cows  were  fresh  and  on  the  breed  of  the 
cows.  Other  points  being  the  same  the  milk 
will  skim  the  easiest  that  has  the  largest  glob- 
ules of  cream.  This  will  hold  good  with  gravity 
raising  of  cream  as  well  as  with  the  separator. 
I  think  it  unnecessary  to  talk  about  gravity 
raising  of  cream  in  the  creamery  as  I  do  not 
know  of  a  milk  creamery  that  does  not  use  a 
separator  for  creaming  the  milk. 

How  to  remove  cream  from  bowl. — When 
the  separator  is  stopped  from  any  cause  pour 
in  water  at  temperature  of  milk  to  take  the 
cream  out  that  is  in  the  bowl  or  it  will  become 
so  thick  from  being  retained  in  the  bowl  while 
in  motion  that  it  will  stop  the  cream  outlet 
and  cause  trouble  when  it  is  started  again.  If 
the  stop  is  at  the  end  of  the  day's  work  the 
cream  certainly  needs  to  be  all  removed. 

The  specific  gravity  of  water  is  between  that 


178  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

of  cream  and  skim-milk  and  will  for  that  rea- 
son take  position  between  the  skim-milk  and 
cream  and  carry  the  cream  or  flush  it  out  of 
the  bowl.  It  is  well  to  repeat  this  three  or 
four  times,  leaving  time  enough  between  the 
acts  for  what  cream  there  is  to  become  sepa- 
rated and  then  flush  it  out.  It  is  necessary  to 
exercise  care  in  getting  the  fat  or  cream  all  out 
of  the  separator  bowl  at  the  end  of  a  run.  I 
have  seen  separator  bowls  with  more  fat  in 
them  when  taken  out  to  be  cleaned  than  there 
would  be  in  1,000  Ibs.  of  the  milk  they  had 
skimmed  with  this  same  machine.  This  was 
not  the  fault  of  the  separator  but  of  the  oper- 
ator. If  the  bowl  is  flushed  out  three  or  four 
times  with  tepid  water,  allowing  a  few  seconds' 
time  between  the  flushings,  there  will  be  no 
larger  percentage  of  fat  in  the  contents  of  the 
bowl  than  there  was  in  the  skim-milk. 

Difference  in  separators. — There  are  many 
times  large  losses  made  in  separating.  I  have 
operated  separators  that  I  could  not  skim  closer 
than  .2  of  1  per  cent  of  fat  with  and  I  have  op- 
erated others  that  I  could  get  to  skim  to  a  trace, 
or  not  enough  to  cover  one-tenth  of  the  surface 
of  the  test-bottle  neck. 

Dairy  school  work. — Persons  wishing  infor- 
mation concerning  work  done  by  different  sep- 
arators under  the  same  conditions  can  secure 
valuable  facts  from  the  work  at  our  dairy 


TEMPERING  AND  SEPARATING.       179 

schools.  At  the  Pennsylvania  State  College 
dairy  school  in  1894  there  were  several  samples 
of  skim-milk  tested  with  the  gravimetric  and 
the  Babcock.  The  average  of  twelve  samples 
was  as  follows:  Gravimetric,  .095;  Babcock, 
.063.  Some  of  the  gravimetric  work  showed  as 
low  as  .01,  .02  and1 .03  of  1  per  cent  in  the  skim- 
milk.  The  New  York  Experiment  Station  at 
Ithaca  in  "Bulletin  No.  66"  gives  the  result  of 
work  done  at  its  dairy  school  in  1894,  where 
seven  separators  were  in  operation.  The  work 
by  the  different  separators  showed  great  varia- 
tions. The  best  average  work  by  any  separator 
was  .1  of  1  per  cent  of  fat  and  the  poorest  work 
showed  .29  of  1  per  cent  of  fat. 

Tests  of  power  required.  —  This  bulletin 
also  gives  the  results  of  tests  made  to  show  the 
horse  power  necessary  to  skim  1,000  Ibs.  of 
milk  per  hour.  It  will  pay  any  creamery  man 
to  get  this  "Bulletin  No.  66."  If  creamery  men 
all  knew  its  value  to  them  I  am  sure  a  new  edi- 
tion of  it  would  be  necessary.  The  Director  of 
.the  Vermont  Experiment  Station  (Prof.  J.  L. 
Hills)  kindly  lent  me  an  abstract  of  their  1894 
dairy  school  work.  They  had  eleven  separa- 
tors in  use  during  the  term.  The  percentage  of 
fat  left  in  the  skim-milk  of  the  different  ma- 
chines averaged  as  low  as  .06  of  1  per  cent  and 
as  high  as  .21  of  1  per  cent.  They  also  made 
power  tests  of  the  separators.  The  Pennsyl- 


180  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

vania  Experiment  Station  made  power  tests  of 
separators  at  their  dairy  school  in  1894. 

Value  of  station  work. — I  consider  the  tests 
of  separators  at  our  dairy  schools  of  great  value. 
There  is  no  more  reliable  source  of  information. 
It  is  right  in  the  line  of  work  that  they  were 
created  to  perform  and  they  are  doing  us  good 
service  that  is  sure  to  be  appreciated  more  and 
more  as  the  years  go  by  and  they  develop  as 
they  are  sure  to  do.  I  have  just  received  "Bul- 
letin No.  22"  of  the  Iowa  Station,  in  which 
Prof.  Henry  C.  Wallace  gives  the  results  of 
work  done  with  separators  during  the  six 
months  ending  June  10,  1894.  The  work  done 
by  four  separators  is  reported.  The  per  cent  of 
fat  in  the  skim-milk  was  as  follows: 

One  separator  with  61  trials  showed  an  aver- 
age fat  in  skim-milk  of  .06. 

One  with  52  trials  showed  an  average  fat  in 
skim-milk  of  .07. 

One  with  22  trials  showed  an  average  fat  in 
skim-milk  of  .22. 

One  with  54  trials  showed  an  average  fat  in 
skim-milk  of  .08. 

Prof.  Wallace  says:  "It  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  tests  were  made  by  dairy  stu- 
dents during  the  course  of  their  instruction  and 
consequently  do  not  represent  the  best  work 
that  can  be  done  with  these  machines,  although 
perhaps  fairly  representing  the  work  done  in 


TEMPERING  AND  SEPARATING. 


181 


the  average  creamery."  In  the  above  quota- 
tion Prof.  W  all  ace  is  talking  of  the  three  ma- 
chines doing  the  best  work.  It  will  pay  parties 
interested  in  separators  to  secure  ''Bulletin  No. 
25." 

Butter  accumulator.— A  comparatively  new 
machine  on  the  market  is  the  'mtter  accumu- 
lator manufactured  at 
Bainbridge,  N.  Y.  It 
receives  the  milk  the 
same  as  the  separator 
except  the  tempera- 
ture, which  it  is  desir- 
able to  have  at  65  deg. 
Fahr.  The  cream  is 
first  separated  the 
same  as  in  the  common 
separator,  after  which 
the  cream  drops  into 
another  compartment  of  the  machine,  where 
the  separation  is  continued  until  we  have  but- 
ter and  buttermilk,  which  are  then  delivered 
from  the  machine.  We  had  one  of  them  at 
the  Pennsylvania  dairy  school  in  January,  1894, 
for  a  few  clays.  It  of  course  makes  what  we 
call  sweet-cream  butter,  but  it  has  more  flavor 
than  any  other  sweet-cream  butter  I  have  ever 
seen. 


BUTTER   ACCUMULATOR. 


CHAPTER  V. 


RIPENING  AND  CHURNING  CREAM. 

Having  finished  the  separating  and  cooling 
the  cream  to  55  deg.  Fah.  in  the  morning  we 
will  in  the  afternoon  prepare  it  for  ripening. 
It  should  be  frequently  agitated  with  some 
kind  of  an  implement  to  remove  the  froth 
there  may  be  on  top  of  the  cream,  as  there  is 
some  fat  in  this  froth,  and  if  it  is  left  on  top  of 
the  cream  it  will  not  ripen  with  the  cream  and 
will  not  churn  so  thoroughly.  It  will  cause  a 
larger  per  cent  of  fat  in  the  buttermilk  than 
if  it  is  stirred  in,  or  until  it  disappears.  If 
the  separator  has  partly  churned  some  of  the 
cream  in  the  operation  of  separating,  it  cannot 
be  stirred  in,  as  the  butter  will  float. 

One  cause  of  mottled  butter. — This  causes 
trouble  in  several  ways.  It  will  not  take  the 
color  readily  and  will  cause  a  mottled  appear- 
ance in  the  butter,  especially  when  new;  but 
it  will  gradually  disappear,  or  at  least  partially, 
when  it  is  a  few  days  old,  probably  taking  color 
from  the  surrounding  butter  that  has  been 
colored.  If  there  is  much  of  it  the  flavor  of  the 

(182) 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING   CREAM.  183 

butter  will  be  affected  by  it,  as  it  was  churned 
at  the  temperature  of  the  milk  at  separating, 
which  is  usually  high  enough  to  kill  the  flavor 
of  the  butter. 

Temperature  to  ripen. — When  the  cream  is 
in  the  desired  condition  it  should  be  tempered, 
the  temperature  of  setting  depending  upon 
when  we  wish  to  churn.  If  it  is  to  be  churned 
the  following  day  it  should  be  warmed  up  to 
68  to  70  deg.  This  operation  requires  care.  It 
must  be  done  gradually  and  not  have  the  water 
surrounding  the  cream  reach  a  temperature 
that  will  cause  the  cream  to  melt  if  allowed  to 
stand  without  agitation  wrhile  being  warmed, 
Agitation  expedites  the  work  and  prevents  the 
cream  that  is  in  contact  with  the  vat  from  be- 
coming overheated.  I  have  known  serious 
trouble  with  the  flavor  and  grain  of  butter 
from  careless  work  here. 

Use  a  starter. — To  hasten  or  help  in  ripen- 
ing a  starter  may  be  used.  Some  use  .butter- 
milk for  this  purpose  but  it  is  not  safe,  as  it 
carries  from  one  day  to  the  next,  and  if  the 
flavor  is  once  lost  or  gets  bad  the  trouble 
is  transmitted  from  day  to  day  and  so  will 
go  from  bad  to  worse.  Some  use  sour  cream 
from  the  day's  churning.  There  is  the  same 
objection  to  this  as  to  the  buttermilk.  The 
best  way  is  to  make  a  starter  from  skim-milk, 
selecting  the  milk  from  a  dairy  of  fresh  cows 


184  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

(as  it  is  tire  fresh  cow's  milk  that  imparts 
flavor)  and  skim  it  by  itself  and  use  it  to  make 
a  starter.  This  should  be  made  every  day  for 
the  following  day's  use.  For  making  the 
starter  we  use  Boyd's  starter  vat.  There  are 
directions  with  it  for  its  use. 

Temperature  at  which  to  hold.— If  the 
cream  is  to  be  churned  the  second  day  after 
separated  it  should  be  held  at  a  temperature  of 
55  to  58  deg.  This  temperature  will  develop 
sufficient  acid.  The  condition  of  the  milk 
when  received  will  have  much  influence  on  the 
development  of  acid,  so  much  in  fact  that  a 
rule  cannot  be  made  that  will  apply  to  all 
cases.  Judgment  must  be  used  and  experience 
is  valuable  in  this  work.  If  at  any  time  there 
is  trouble  with  the  milk  which  causes  a  bad 
flavor  to  the  cream  it  should  not  be  ripened  at 
a  high  temperature,  as  it  will  cause  the  bad 
element  to  develop  rapidly  and  it  will  secure 
full  possession  of  the  cream  vat,  overcoming 
the  starter  entirely.  Ripen  off-flavored  cream 
•at  a  low  temperature  and  agitate  and  aerate  it 
as  much  as  possible  during  the  ripening  pro- 
cess, 

Cooling  for  the  churn.— When  ripened  and 
before  churning  it  must  be  cooled  to  the  de- 
sired temperature.  My  early  experience  with 
cooling  cream  was  with  the  common  cream 
vat  with  a  space  for  water  surrounding  the 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING   CREAM. 


185 


cream.  This  is  a  slow  process  and  taxes  a 
person's  patience.  Several  years  ago  I  devised 
a  cooler  consisting  of  a  series  of  pipes  like  a 
single  horizontal  steam  radiator.  This  is  sus- 


GTTRI/ER'S  CIRCULATING  COOLER. 


pended  in  the  vat  and  worked  mechanically  up 
and  down ;  at  the  same  time  cold  water  is  run- 
ning through  it  constantly.  I  believe  this  to 
be  the  first  circulating  cooler  used  and  it  is  not 


186  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

patented.  This  does  very  efficient  work;  it 
will  cool  a  vat  of  cream  from  70  cleg,  down  to 
within  3  cleg,  of  the  temperature  of  the  water 
used  in  a  short  time,  a  full  vat  requiring  not  to 
exceed  thirty-five  minutes.  Care  must  be  used 
here,  as  this  rapid  cooling  of  the  cream  does 
not  harden  the  fat  with  the  same  degree  of 
rapidity  that  the  thermometer  indicates  it  has 
cooled  the  cream.  It  is  best  to  cool  a  few 
degrees  cooler  than  you  wish  to  churn,  or  con- 
tinue the  cooling  operation  for  a  time  to  give 
the  fa-t  in  the  cream  time  to  harden. 

Temperature  to  churn. —  The  temperature 
to  churn  is  the  next  question.  The  old  practice 
was  58  to  62  cleg.  This  is  the  temperature  at 
which  a  large  majority  churn  to-day.  I  have 
been  studying  over  this  churning  question  for 
several  years.  My  early  work  was  in  the  line 
of  acidity,  which  work  was  clone  in  connection 
with  the  Illinois  Experiment  Station  and  a 
bulletin  issued  which  covered  our  work.  But 
when  the  Babcock  test  was  introduced  I  com- 
menced to  use  it  on  the  buttermilk  and  secured 
results  that  surprised  me  very  much.  The  va- 
riations in  the  percentage  of  fat  were  astonish- 
ing, the  range  being  from  .1  of  1  per  cent  up 
to  2  per  cent  (two  per  cent).  At  the  end  of  the 
first  year  I  had  learned  that  the  churning  was 
much  more  exhaustive  in  winter  than  it  was  in 
summer.  I  had  supposed  the  opposite  would  be 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING   CREAM. 


187 


the  case,  as  I  thought  the  cream  from  grass 
milk  should  be  more  churnable  than  that  from 
dry  food. 

After  a  while  I  began  to  think  that  the  tem- 
perature was  the  key  to  unlock  the  secret,  and 
I  very  soon  satisfied  myself  that  it  was,  and  that 
a  temperature  of  50  deg.  gave  much  more  ex- 


KEY  CITY  KING. 


haustive  churning  than  the  old  standard  tem- 
perature of  60  deg. 

The  next  question  was  how  to  be  sure  of 
churning  ripened  cream  at  this  low  tempera- 
ture. We  had  known  for  a  long  time  that 
sweet  cream  could  be  churned  at  a  very  low 
temperature;  but  my  experience  was  like  many 
others  with  ripened  cream,  i.  e.,  it  would  not 
gather  but  would  swell  and  froth  and  fill  the 
churn  full  and  cause  an  endless  amount  of 


188  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

trouble,  which  could  be  overcome  best  by  re- 
moving a  part  of  the  cream  from  the  churn 
and  making  two  churnings  of  the  one. 

Low  temperature  requires  rich  cream.— 
After  a  time  I  got  an  idea  that  the  richness  of 
the  cream  in  fat  had  something  to  do  with 
churning,  and  followed  the  idea  which  led  me 
out  of  the  trouble,  as  I  found  it  to  be  a  fact 
that  ripened  or  acid  cream  with  35  per  cent  of 
fat  could  be  readily  churned  and  would  gather 
at  a  temperature  of  50  to  52  deg.  I  now  mean 
that  the  buttermilk  will  be  at  50  to  52  deg., 
and  the  butter  after  the  buttermilk  is  drawn 
off  will  be  at  the  same  temperature.  I  have 
had  men  ridicule  me  when  I  told  them  it  was 
practicable  to  churn  at  this  low  temperature, 
and  have  had  men  state  before  a  public  gath- 
ering that  they  did  not  believe  me;  but  we 
are  going  right  along  doing  it  every  day  when 
the  outside  temperature  is  low  enough  so  that 
the  churn-rooms  are  cold  enough  to  help  us  out. 

Temperature  of  churn-room. — The  tem- 
perature of  the  churn-room  has  much  to  do 
with  the  change  of  temperature  of  the  cream 
during  the  churning.  When  the  churn-room 
is  as  cold  as  the  cream  in  the  churn  the  change 
of  temperature  of  the  cream  during  churning 
will  be  but  a  few  degrees,  depending  upon  the 
time  required  to  churn.  But  if  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  churn-room  is  20  deg.  higher  than 


SIPENING   AND   CHURNING    CREAM.  189 

the  cream  in  the  churn  the  cream  will  warm 
up  very  fast.  I  have  learned  that  with  a  box 
or  barrel  churn  in  a  room  15  deg.  colder  than 
the  cream  in  the  churn  one  hour's  churning 
would  not  change  the  temperature  of  the 
cream. 

Advantages  of  low  temperature. — Churn- 
ing at  a  low  temperature  not  only  gives  more 
exhaustive  churning  but  it  gives  better  butter 
—butter  with  less  foreign  elements  in  it  and 
with  much  better  keeping  qualities.  Another 
point  is  that  it  requires  less  washing  to  re- 
move the  buttermilk.  This  I  consider  a  great 
advantage,  as  it  is  a  fact  that  washing  removes 
some  of  the  delicate  flavor  of  butter.  In  this 
line  I  recently  made  a  test  of  a  churning. 
The  churning  was 
stopped  when  the 
butter  granules 
were  the  size  of 
kernels  of  wheat, 
and  the  butter- 
milk, which  was 

at  a    temperature  STRAINER  DIPPER. 

of  53  deg.,  was  then  drawn  out;  then  one-third 
of  the  butter  was  taken  out  and  salted  and 
worked.  The  remaining  butter  was  washed 
once  and  then  one-half  of  the  contents  taken 
out  and  salted  and  worked.  The  balance  was 
then  washed  a  second  time  and  allowed  to  lie 


190 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


in  the  water  about  two  hours,  when  it  was 
taken  from  the  churn  and  treated  the  same  as 
the  other  two  lots  had  been.  From  each  of 
these  lots  was  filled  one  tub  and  one  ten-pound 
pail.  The  tubs  were  judged  the  following  day 
by  my  brother,  the  butter-maker  and  myself, 
my  brother  and  I  not  knowing  anything  about 
the  butter  except  that  we  had  a  tub  of  each 
lot.  We  all  agreed  that  the  twice-washed  had 
the  least  flavor,  and  two  of  us  selected  the  but- 
ter that  was  not  washed  as  the  best  in  flavor  of 
the  three  tubs  and  fully  equal  in  every  other 
way  to  the  other  butters. 

I  also  sent  the  three  pails,  one  being  out  of 
each  lot,  to  Mr.  A.  H.  Barber,  who  was  chair- 
man of  the  committee  that  judged  the  butter 
made  in  the  breed  contest  at  the  Columbian 
Exposition.  Mr.  Barber  also  selected  the  pack- 
age that  had  not  been  washed  as  the  best  in 
flavor  and  body.  I  also  sent  a  sample  of  each 
lot  to  our  experiment  station  to  be  analyzed, 
and  received  the  following  analysis  from  Prof. 
Farrington : 


Fat. 

Water. 

Curd. 

Salt. 

Not  washed  

83.41 

12.86 

1.65 

2.14 

Once  washed  

83.83 

12.32 

1.13 

2.72 

Twice  washed  

84.16 

12.16 

1.08 

2.60 

Will  unwashed  butter  keep?— Three  months 
after  this  butter  was  made  I  was  at  the  Illinois 


RIPENING   AND    CHURNING   CREAM. 


191 


Experiment  Station  and  found  the  samples  I 
had  sent  Chemist  Farrington  for  analysis  still 


preserved  except  what  had  been  taken  for  the 
analysis.     The  samples  had  not  been  cared  for 


192 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


in  the  least  except  to  keep  the  covers  on  the 
jars,  there  being  no  kind  of  a  seal.  I  asked  that 
the  .samples  be  set  before  me  with  private 


marks  so  that  I   could  judge  them   without 
knowing  which  was  which.     I  found  no  differ- 


RIPENING    AND    CHURNING    CREAM. 


193 


ence  in  the  flavor  of  the  three.  I  expected  to 
find  that  the  samples  that  had  been  washed 
had  kept  the  best  but  there  was  no  difference. 


They  had  all  kept  well,  there  being  no  bad 
flavor;  simply  showing  loss  of  freshness.  I  was 
surprised  to  find  the  flavor  as  good  as  it  was. 

13 


194  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Look  out  for  cream  with  small  per  cent  of 
fat. — Ripened  cream  that  has  15  per  cent  or 
less  of  fat  in  it  cannot  be  churned  at  a  very 
low  temperature.  Cream  with  a  large  amount 
of  milk  in  it  develops  acid  much  faster  than 
cream  with  a  small  amount  of  milk.  This 
point  must  be  looked  after  or  there  will  be 
trouble  from  loss  of  flavor  and  also  loss  of  fat 
in  the  buttermilk. 

Look  out  for  acidity. — The  greatest  loss  of 
fat  in  buttermilk  that  I  have  ever  found  came 
from  excessively  sour  cream.  Before  we  had 
the  Babcock  test  we  learned  that  too  much 
acidity  caused  a  loss  of  butter,  but  we  thought 
then  that  the  acid  destroyed  the  fat;  now  we 
know  better;  we  know  that  it  in  some  way 
gets  the  cream  in  a  condition  that  it  does  not 
deliver  all  of  its  fat.  There  is  much  less  dan- 
ger of  cream  rich  in  fat  becoming  too  sour  than 
there  is  from  cream  that  is  poor,  in  fat.  I  have 
tested  buttermilk  that  I  found  2  per  cent  of  fat 
in,  and  I  have  tested  hundreds  of  samples  that 
I  found  less  than  .1  of  1  per  cent  in.  I  once 
tested  a  creamery  daily  for  one  week  and  found 
the  first  day  less  than  .1  of  1  per  cent;  I  read  it 
.07 ;  the  other  extreme  was  1.2  per  cent.  This 
great  difference  was  caused  partly  by  the  tem- 
perature and  partly  by  difference  in  the  acidity 
of  the  cream. 

The  record  was  as  follows: 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING    CREAM. 


195 


First  day  
Second  day.  .  . 
Fifth  day  
Sixth  day  
Ninth  day  

Tempera- 
ture at 
starting. 

Temperature 
of  but- 
termillk. 

Time  of 
churn- 
ing. 

Per  cent  of 
fat  in 
buttermilk. 

50  deg. 
56  deg. 
53  deg. 
54  deg. 
57  deg. 

53  deg. 
58  deg. 
55  deg. 
56  deg. 
59  deg. 

45  min. 
43  min. 
35  min. 
50  min. 
30  min. 

.07 
.60 
.50 
.50 
1.20 

The  man  in  charge  of  this  creamery  had  been 
in  our  employ  but  a  short  time  and  we  had  not 
got  him  up  to  our  standard  at  the  time.  He 
was  doing  all  right  in  cold  weather,  but  when 
the  warm  days  of  spring  came  he  was  caught 
off  his  guard,  and  also  caught  the  patrons  off 
their  guard  with  their  milk.  A  portion  of  this 
great  loss  came  from  the  milk  not  having  been 
properly  cared  for  at  the  farm,  and  it  was  off 
flavor  when  received  at  the  creamery  and 
caused  the  cream  to  become  too  sour  before  it 
was  churned.  If  it  had  been  cooled  thoroughly 
and  churned  the  afternoon  after  it  was  skimmed 
it  would  have  given  more  exhaustive  churning 
and  a  better  quality  of  butter. 

Washing  butter. — When  the  cream  is  churned 
at  a  temperature  of  62  to  66  deg.  it  will  need 
several  washings  and  the  first  washing  should 
have  salt  added  to  it.  This  will  help  to  sepa- 
rate the  butter  and  buttermilk.  It  is  well  to 
use  a  brine  wash  in  all  cases,  but  there  is  not 
so  much  need  of  it  when  the  butter  gathers  at 
a  low  temperature.  I  have  seen  the  last  that 


196 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


run  from  the  churn  when  churned  at  52  cleg, 
and  not  washed  look  like  whey,  and  our  patrons 
would  say  that  it  was  not  buttermilk  and  ac- 


cuse us  of  watering  it.     A  high  temperature  at 
churning  gives  us  butter  with  less  flavor,  more 


RIPENING    AND    CHURNING    CREAM. 


197 


foreign  elements,  less  grain  and  solidity,  and  is 
therefore  not  to  be  recommended. 


Advantages  of  low  temperature. — When 
butter  gathers  at  a  low  temperature  it  can  be 
better  handled,  it  will  receive  the  salt  with  less 


198  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

working,  will  have  a  better  grain,  and  more  of 
the  desirable  waxy  texture. 

Churns. — I  have  used  the  box  and  barrel 
churn  for  twenty  years.  I  will  not  make  the 
claim  that  they  are  the  best  churns,  but  there 
are  some  good  points  about  them.  One  is,  that 
the  cream  has  no  place  to  adhere  and  not  be- 
come equally  churned.  When  cream  can  gather 
any  place  and  not  receive  the  necessary  churn- 
ing it  causes  an  increased  loss  in  the  butter- 
milk; here  is  where  we  have  an  advantage  over 
the  dash  churn  and  other  kinds  that  allow 
cream  to  accumulate  above  the  cream  line  in 
the  churn.  Another  advantage  of  the  box  and 
barrel  churn  is  that  the  temperature  of  the 
cream  is  less  affected  by  the  temperature  of  the 
room  in  which  the  churning  is  being  done. 

Watch  temperature  during  churning. — I 
have  known  butter-makers  who  would  pay  no 
attention  to  the  temperature  of  the  cream  in 
the  churn  after  the  churn  was  started.  This 
way  answers  in  cold  weather,  but  in  hot 
weather  the  temperature  of  the  cream  should 
be  watched  and  if  it  gets  too  high  put  some  ice, 
finely  broken,  into  the  churn.  It  is  best  to  con- 
trol the  temperature  without  the  use  of  ice  or 
water  in  the  cream,  but  it  is  better  to  use  them 
and  keep  control  of  the  temperature  than  it  is 
to  lose  control  of  the  temperature. 

Color  may  be  added  to  the  salt.— Butter 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING   CREAM. 


199 


color,  when  used,  should  be  added  to  the  cream 
before  the  churn  is  started.  When  you  do  not 
know  how  much  color  to  use  be  sure  not  to  put 
in  too  much,  and  if  the  color  is  not  high  enough 
add  more  color  to  the  salt  before  it  is  put  into 
the  butter.  I  have  done  this  many  times,  When 
color  is  put  into  the  salt  it  should  be  thorough- 
ly mixed  with  the  salt  before  it  is  put  into  the 
butter. 

Test  of  buttermilk. — In  April  and  May,  1893, 
we  kept  the  record  of  three  creameries,  churn- 
ing for  ten  days  each,  testing  the  buttermilk 
each  day.  In  one  creamery  the  average  was 
.13  of  1  per  cent  for  the  ten  days;  the  other 
two  averaged  less  than  .1  of  1  per  cent  of  fat 
for  the  ten  days.  In  one  creamery  there  was 
not  a  test  in  the  ten  days  in  which  there  was  .1  of 
1  per  cent  of  fat  in  the  buttermilk.  The  follow- 
ing figures  give  the  results  of  some  of  the  work 
done  at  the  Pennsylvania  dairy  school  in  Jan- 
uary,1893: 


DATE. 

Per  cent  of 
cream 
in  fat. 

Temperature 
at  start. 

?as 

i! 
Iff 

Per  cent  of 
fat  in  butter- 
milk. 

Pounds  but- 
termilk to 
contain  1  Ib. 
butter-fat. 

Jan.     9 

33 

40 

52 

001 

100  000 

Jan.  10 

23 

43 

52 

05 

20  000 

Jan.  11 

25  2 

44 

55 

03 

3  333-t 

Jan.  12 

29  4 

50 

58 

07 

1  429 

Jan.  18 

20  5 

50 

60 

10 

1  000 

Jan.  19  

23  7 

57 

57 

10 

1  000 

200  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

The  per  cent  of  fat  in  cream  can  be  readily 
got  at  when  you  know  the  per  cent  of  fat  in 
the  day's  milk.  If  the  milk  has  4  per  cent  fat, 
and  the  separator  takes  one-sixth  of  the  whole 
as  cream  the  cream  will  contain  24  per  cent  of 
fat.  If  one-eighth  of  the  whole  milk  is  taken 
then  the  cream  will  have  eight  times  as  large 
a  per  cent  of  fat  as  the  milk  has,  or  32  per 
cent. 

How  to  remove- curd  from  butter. — Cream 
should  always  be  strained  through  a  perforated 

tin  or  a  wire  strainer 
infco  the  churn.  This 
breaks  up  any  thick 
cream  and  helps  to 
get  it  into  good  con- 
dition for  the  churn. 
When  cream  is  being 
churned  that  has  a 

PERFORATED  TIN  CREAM  STRAINER.       Iarg6  aUlOUnt   Of   milk 

in  it  the  strainer  is  a  help,  especially  if  the 
milk  is  soured  or  curded,  as  it  will  break  up  the 
curd  into  small  particles  that  can  be  removed 
by  careful  washing.  In  such  cases  when  the 
butter  has  gathered  in  granules  large  enough 
to  prevent  a  waste  or  loss  through  the  strainer, 
stop  the  churn  and  draw  off  a  part  of  the  but- 
termilk and  then  put  in  water  and  agitate  it 
gently,  and  draw  off  most  of  the  water,  leav- 
ing enough  to  float  the  butter,  as  the  particles 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING   CREAM.  201 

of  curd  are  heavier  than  the  butter  or  water 
and  will  sink  to  the  bottom  of  the  churn  when 
liberated  from  the  butter  and  can  be  drawn 
out  with  the  wash  water.  But  if  the 
butter  is  allowed  to  settle  down  onto 
these  particles  of  curd  they  adhere  to 
the  butter  and  it  is  impossible  to  get 
them  out  by  washing.  The  cream 
should  not  be  allowed  to  become  suf- 
ficiently sour  to  cause  this  condition, 
but  we  sometimes  get  caught  by  a  sud- 
g  den  change  in  the  weather  or  some 
|  other  cause  and  then  should  know 
|  how  to  make  the  best  of  the  situation. 

M 

w     Many  churn  too  quick. — Do  not  let 
|  the  desire  to  do  quick  churning  lead 
o  you  astray.     Time  is  a  minor  point. 
3  Cream  with  a  high  per  cent  of  fat  and 
o  a  temperature  of  62  to  64  deg.  may 
*  be  churned  in  a  few  minutes,  in  some 
cases  as  short  a  time  as  ten  minutes, 
but  you   will    secure    better    butter 
when   you  reduce  this    temperature 
10  deg.  and   churn  one    hour.     You 
will    also    secure    more    exhaustive 
churning;  there  will  be  less  fat  in  the 
buttermilk. 

Have  tested  thermometer. — Every 
butter-maker  should  have  a  tested  thermometer 
as  a  standard.  Do  not  use  it  for  any  purpose 


202  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

except  to  test  new  ones  by.    There  is  a  great 
variation  in  some  makes. 

Have  a  standard  of  color. — I  also  recom- 
mend that  all  butter-makers  preserve  a  stand- 
ard of  color.  This  may  be  a  sample  of  butter 
in  a  glass  jar.  This  should  be  kept  from  the 
light  as  some  butter  color  fades  in  the  light. 
Some  butter-makers  will  think  this  precaution 
unnecessary,  but  I  know  that  it  is  necessary  in 
many  cases  as  I  frequently  find  a  butter-maker 
lost  on  this  point ;  he  is  too  high  or  too  low 
and  he  does  not  know  it. 

Pasteurized  cream. — I  had  expected  to  do 
some  work  in  the  line  of  butter-making  from 
Pasteurized  cream  in  time  to  report  in  this 
chapter,  but  1  have  not  been  able  to  find  the 
time  to  do  it.  This  is  a  live  question  and  we 
should  all  be  looking  for  information  on  it.  I 
believe  1895  will  bring  us  much  reliable  infor- 
mation on  this  subject.  Here  is  a  good  field 
for  our  dairy  schools  to  develop.  I  do  not  ex- 
pect that  Pasteurizing  cream  from  milk  that  is 
practically  perfect  will  improve  the  flavor,  but 
milk  or  cream  that  has  a  bad  flavor  coming 
from  food  of  any  kind  like  garlicks  or  turnips, 
or  that  has  absorbed  bad  odors,  I  believe  will 
be  improved  by  Pasteurizing.  It  is  my  belief 
that  Pasteurized  cream  ripened  with  the  right 
ferment  will  make  butter  with  better  keeping 


RIPENING   AND   CHURNING   CREAM.  203 

qualities  than  the  same   cream  would  make 
when  not  Pasteurized. 

European  work. — I  know  there  has  been 
some  work  done  in  this  line  in  this  country  and 
much  more  in  Europe.  Denmark  is  probably 
leading  in  this  field  and  we  shall  profit  by  fol- 
lowing her  work  closely,  not  only  in  this  line 
but  in  all  other  dairy  and  creamery  work. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


SALTING,  WORKING,   PACKING  AND 
MARKETING. 

Test  the  salt. — Care  should  be  used  in  select- 
ing the  salt.  A  good  way  to  test  it  is  to  dis- 
solve some  in  hot  water,  when  if  there  is  any- 
thing bad  about  the  flavor  it  will  be  easily  de- 
tected. At  the  same  time  notice  whether  or 
not  there  is  any  sediment  in  the  bottom  of  the 
glass  in  which  the  salt  has  been  dissolved. 
Also  notice  the  color  of  the  brine — whether 
clear  or  milky. 

Salt  absorbs  odors. — I  know  from  bitter  ex- 
perience that  salt  will  absorb  bad  odors.  I 
once  left  a  small  shipment  of  salt  in  the  rail- 
road freight  house  a  few  days  where  there  was 
some  barbed  wire  that  was  painted  with  some 
preparation  that  contained  coal  tar.  The  salt 
absorbed  this  odor  and  was  spoiled  for  use  in 
butter.  My  firm  built  a  salt-room  at  one  of 
our  creameries,  and  adjoining  it  an  open  shed 
for  hitching  horses.  The  salt  absorbed  from 
the  droppings  in  the  horse  shed  and  was  spoiled, 
which  would  not  have  been  a  serious  loss  if 

(304) 


SALTING,  WORKING    AND   PACKING.  205 

we  had  discovered  the  trouble  in  time,  but  we 
did  not  until  complaint  came  from  New  York 
that  our  butter  was  not  fine  and  the  trouble  in- 
creased. We  looked  after  the  milk  and  cream 
and  vats,  churn  and  butter- worker,  in  fact 
everywhere  we  could  think  for  the  trouble. 
At  last  when  about  to  give  up  the  hunt  we 
discovered  it  in  the  salt.  We  had  taken,  as  we 
thought,  the  best  of  care  of  our  salt  and  did 
not  suspect  any  trouble  from  that  source.  We 
could  not  detect  it  in  the  butter  when  first 
made,  but  by  the  time  it  had  reached  New 
York  it  had  developed  sufficiently  to  cause 
serious  trouble.  We  at  first  thought  the  butter 
had  been  exposed  to  something  in  transit,  but 
at  last  found  it  in  the  salt,  which  was  so  badly 
impregnated  that  it  was  easily  perceptible. 
Have  a  clean,  dry  room  free  from  any  impure 
surroundings  for  salt. 

Butter  injured  by  cheese. — The  past  sum- 
mer my  firm  bought  some  butter  for  a  New 
York  house  which  was  rejected  on  arrival  in 
New  York,  and  on  investigation  it  was  found 
the  butter  was  shipped  from  Chicago  in  the 
car  with  some  Limburger  cheese.  The  railway 
company  made  the  loss  good  without  any  delay. 
I  mention  this  to  show  the  necessity  for  care. 
There  was  a  loss  of  $6,000,000  on  the  butter 
that  passed  through  the  Chicago  market  in 
1892  that  was  traceable  to  lack  of  care,  in- 


206  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

telligent  work,  skill,  or  something  that  could 
and  should  have  been  remedied. 

How  much  salt.— Use  the  quantity  of  salt  in 
butter  that  suits  your  trade.  Most  of  the 
United  States  markets  wish  three-fourths  to 
one  ounce  per  pound  of  butter. 

Sift  the  salt. — Use  a  sieve  to  put  the  salt  onto 
the  butter.  This  will  break  all  lumps  and  the 
butter  will  require  less  working  to  get  it  in 
proper  condition.  Keep  the  butter  in  the  gran- 
ular form  until  the  salt  is  added,  as  the  salt  can 
be  in  this  way  thoroughly  incorporated  into 
the  butter  with  less  working  than  when  the 
butter  is  allowed  to  pack  before  the  salt  is 
added. 

Churn  salting. — Salting  in  the  churn  is  prac- 
ticed by  some  of  our  best  butter-makers.  I 
think  there  is  no  better  place  to  incorporate 
the  salt  with  the  granular  butter  than  in  the 
box  or  barrel  churn  when  the  butter  is  at  the 
proper  temperature  so  the  granules  do  not  pack. 
A  slow  motion  of  the  churn  mixes  the  salt  with 
the  granular  butter  very  evenly  and  quickly. 
When  doing  this  work  it  is  best  to  revolve  the 
churn  by  hand,  as  it  is  not  practical  to  impart 
by  power  as  slow  a  motion  as  is  necessary. 
There  are  now  on  the  market  churns  in  which 
the  butter  is  salted  and  worked  before  being 
taken  out.  The  Disbrow  and  Owens  churns  are 
of  this  style.  The  Disbrow  is  in  use  by  some  of 


SALTING,  WORKING   AND   PACKING. 


207 


the  most  progressive    creamery   men  in  the 
Elgin  district. 

Estimating  for  salt. — When  salting  in  the 
churn  it  is  best  to  estimate  the  amount  of  but- 


ter from  the  milk  the  cream  was  taken  from. 
It  is  more  reliable  to  figure  from  the  milk  than 
from  the  cream  in  the  vat. 


208  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

One  or  two  workings.  —  The  majority  of 
butter-makers  now  work  their  butter  but  once. 
One  working  has  some  advantages.  The  work- 
ing is  all  done  before  the  butter  sets  or  be- 
comes hardened  from  being  exposed  to  a  low 
temperature  and  can  be  worked  more  without 
injury  to  the  grain  than  when  allowed  to 
harden  before  given  the  second  working.  I 
am  now  supposing  it  has  been  churned  at  a 
proper  temperature.  If  it  has  been  churned  at 
64  deg.  Fahr.  and  is  to  be  worked  in  a  room 
with  the  temperature  at  70  to  75  deg.  I  think  it 
best  to  give  it  a  second  working  after  it  has 
had  time  to  cool  and  has  come  into  condition 
to  be  worked.  It  requires  more  care  and  good 
judgment  to  finish  butter  at  one  working  than 
it  does  when  it  is  given  two  workings.  When 
worked  twice  the  appearance  of  the  butter  at 
second  working  is  a  sure  guide  as  to  when  it  is 
worked  enough,  as  the  time  to  stop  is  when  the 
streaks  caused  by  the  salt  are  all  removed. 
This  rule  cannot  be  applied  when  working 
once,  as  the  salt  is  not  all  dissolved.  I  was  one 
of  the  first  in  the  Northern  Illinois  dairy  dis- 
trict to  put  in  practice  one  working,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  how  doubtful  I  was  at  first  of  its 
practicability.  I  took  a  sample  of  every  day's 
make  to  my  table  for  three  weeks  before  I  con- 
vinced myself  that  it  was  a  safe  way  to  do. 
This  was  fifteen  years  ago.  I  practiced  it  for 


SALTING,  WORKING    AND    PACKING.  209 

three  years  when  working  the  butter  myself, 
but  never  reached  the  point  that  I  dared  depend 
on  the  appearance  of  the  butter  to  tell  when  it 
was  worked  enough.  I  always  timed  myself 
or  counted  the  revolutions  of  the  worker  table. 
I  have  met  butter-makers  and  have  had  some 
in  my  employ  who  claimed  they  could  tell  by 
the  appearance  of  the  butter  at  the  first  work- 
ing when  it  was  worked  enough,  but  I  am  still 
an  unbeliever  on  that  point.  I  admit  that  the 
work  can  be  carried  so  far  beyond  the  danger 
line  that  we  are  sure  we  will  not  have  mottled 
or  streaked  butter,  but  I  do  not  believe  it  is 
practicable  to  tell  just  when  the  danger  point 
is  passed.  I  have  frequently  caught  a  wise 
butter-maker — one  that  knew  when  he  had 
worked  the  butter  enough — with  butter  that 
showed  mottled  on  the  trier.  I  say  be  on  the 
safe  side  and  work  by  time  or  count  the  revolu- 
tions of  the  table.  Twenty-five  revolutions  of 
most  workers  will  carry  over  the  danger  line, 
but  every  butter-maker  must  make  his  own 
rule  by  timing  the  working  and  examining  the 
butter  the  following  clay.  Twice-worked  but- 
ter has  the  best  appearance.  If  I  wished  to  do 
very  fine  work  I  should  work  it  twice,  and  I 
recommend  new  beginners  to  practice  twice 
working  if  they  have  a  room  at  the  proper  tem- 
perature to  hold  the  butter  in  while  the  salt  is 
dissolving.  This  temperature  should  be  55  deg. 

14 


210  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

or  below.  Either  too  warm  or  too  cold  makes 
it  bad  for  the  butter.  Butter  may  have  the 
second  working  the  day  it  is  churned;  all  the 
time  necessary  is  for  the  salt  to  dissolve;  four 
hours  is  sufficient  with  most  makes  of  salt. 
Some  very  coarse-grained  salt  will  require  more 
time  to  dissolve. 

Butter  tubs. — Butter  tubs  should  be  first 
placed  over  a  steam  jet  for  two  minutes  and 
then  soaked  for  twenty-four  hours  by  being 
filled  with  water.  Before  using  rinse  out  and 
rub  the  inside  all  over  with  salt,  using  no  more 
than  will  adhere  to  the  damp  tub.  This  helps 
preserve  the  butter,  prevents  its  adhering  to 
the  tub  and  causes  it  to  show  a  tidy  appearance 
when  stripped.  The  various  sized  ash  tubs  are 
more  generally  used  than  any  other  package. 
Some  markets  prefer  the  spruce  tub,  and  some 
use  the  tin-lined  packages.  The  practice  of 
lining  butter  tubs  with  paraffine  paper  is  in- 
creasing. Some  claim  that  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
coat  the  inside  of  the  butter  tubs  with  paraffine. 
A  safe  rule  is  to  use  a  package  that  pleases  the 
parties  who  buy  your  butter,  Do  not  run  away 
with  the  idea  that  you  know  best  and  under- 
take to  dictate  to  them,  as  you  will  probably 
create  friction  and  may  lose  a  good  customer 
by  such  a  course. 

Care  of  packages. — Be  sure  that  all  packages 
are  clean  and  sweet  before  you  put  butter  in 


SALTING,  WORKING    AND   PACKING.  211 

them.  If  you  put  butter  in  a  package  that  is 
not  sweet  the  butter  will  be  injured  before  it  is 
all  consumed,  you  will  be  blamed  for  it,  and 
you  are  not  in  a  position  to  defend  yourself. 

Care  in  packing. — In  packing  butter  be  sure 
and  get  it  solid  in  the  package.  Do  not  put  in 
too  much  at  one  time.  If  not  solidly  packed 
it  will  not  keep  as  well  and  will  not  appear 
well  when  stripped  (as  it  is  in  many  markets) 
before  being  retailed.  Finish  the  top  of  the 
package  to  suit  the  purchaser  if  he  has  any 
choice.  Some  want  it  cut  with  a  string  or 
wire  even  with  the  top  of  the  tub.  Others 
want  a  straight-edge  used  with  notches  in  it 
to  cut  down  from  one-eighth  to  one-quarter  of 
an  inch  and  a  paste  of  salt  put  over  the  cloth 
circle.  This  salt  paste  will  set  and  exclude 
the  air,  and  is  a  good  way  to  finish  butter  in 
tubs  that  are  to  be  held  for  future  use.  A  very 
fine  salt  is  best  to  make  this  paste  of.  Make  it 
thick  enough  so  that  it  will  just  run,  and  then 
by  striking  the  sides  of  the  tub  with  the  hand 
it  will  spread  evenly  over  the  whole  surface  of 
the  tub  and  give  it  a  very  smooth  and  neat 
appearance. 

Neat  packages. — Use  care  in  keeping  the 
packages  clean  and  neat.  An  untidy  package 
creates  a  suspicion  of  the  contents  and  is  not 
complimentary  to  the  butter-maker,  neither  is 
it  to  his  employer. 


212  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Marketing. — In  marketing  you  must  work 
your  own  way  out.  There  are  so  many  differ- 
ent conditions  and  different  demands  that  it  is 
impossible  to  make  rules  that  will  fit  everyone. 
For  near-by  markets  prints  wrapped  in  paraf- 
fin e  paper  afford  a  very  satisfactory  way  to 
market  butter.  For  shipping  a  long  distance 
some  kind  of  a  tub  is  best.  There  is  compara- 
tively little  print  butter  handled  in  the  Central 
and  Western  States  yet,  but  I  believe  this 
method  of  handling  butter  will  increase.  What- 
ever way  you  handle  your  butter  do  it  well  and 
make  yourself  a  reputation.  This  is  stock  in 
trade  to  you.  Every  make  of  butter  has  an  in- 
dividuality and  when  a  customer  becomes  ac- 
quainted with  a  certain  brand  he  prefers  it  to 
some  other  brand  or  make  that  is  equally  good 
and  would  score  just  as  high  by  an  expert. 
This  point  the  maker  should  take  advantage  of 
and  profit  by.  If  at  any  time  you  have  butter 
that  is  not  up  to  your  standard  do  not  try  to 
slip  it  through  and  "guess"  it  will  pass.  This 
does  not  pay  in  the  end,  as  it  may  in  many  cases 
go  to  a  particular  customer  and  cause  you 
trouble.  Always  mark  such  packages  so  you 
can  describe  them  to  the  purchaser  or  consignee 
if  you  allow  them  to  go  with  the  rest  of  the 
butter.  It  is  a  much  better  way  to  not  let 
them  go  with  the  fine  goods,  but  put  them 
somewhere  else  on  their  merits.  In  this  way 


SALTING,  WORKING   AND   PACKING.  213 

you  will  hold  your  goods  up  to  standard  and 
the  reputation  of  your  butter  will  grow  and 
enable  you  to  secure  a  larger  price  for  your 
goods.  Do  not  try  to  get  something  for  noth- 
ing. It  does  not  pay. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


CARE  OF  SKIM-MILK  AT  CREAMERY. 

Skim-milk  is  of  sufficient  value  to  warrant 
its  being  well  cared  for  at  the  creamery;  but  I 
am  sorry  to  be  compelled  to  say  that  in  many 
creameries  it  is  not  properly  cared  for,  though 
I  believe  the  majority  do  as  well  as  they  know 
how. 

Clean  vats. — The  skim-milk  should  be  kept 
in  vats  that  can  be  and  are  thoroughly  cleansed 
every  day.  If  the  vat  is  allowed  to  become 
sour  or  there  is  some  sour  milk  left  over  daily 
and  the  sweet  milk  is  run  into  it  the  sour  milk 
or  sour  vat  acts  as  a  ferment  and  the  result 
is  that  the  milk  becomes  too  sour  before  the 
farmer  gets  it  home  and  fed  to  the  pigs.  Some 
of  the  skim -milk  needs  to  be  kept  until  the  fol- 
lowing morning  where  it  has  to  be  drawn  so 
far  to  the  creamery  that  it  will  not  be  returned 
in  time  for  the  morning  feed. 

Sweet  and  sour. — The  Vermont  Experiment 
Station  has  done  some  work  showing  the  com- 
parative feeding  value  of  sour  and  sweet  skim- 
milk  for  pigs  in  which  the  sour  milk  gave  the 
best  results.  I  have  been  trying  for  two  years 

(214) 


CARE    OF    SKIM-MILK   AT    CREAMERY.          215 

to  get  the  Illinois  Experiment  Station  to  do 
some  work  to  show  the  comparative  value  of 
sweet  and  excessively  sour  milk  fed  to  pigs, 
such  as  is  returned  from  some  creameries.  An 
underground  vat  should  never  be  used  for  skim- 
milk  as  it  is  not  possible  to  properly  clean  it 
and  keep  it  in  good  condition. 

For  calves. — For  young  calves  it  is  necessary 
to  have  the  milk  sweet,  and  the  creamery 
should  provide  some  convenient  way  for  the 
patrons  to  get  it  sweet  and  clean  from  the 
separator. 

Scalding. — By  scalding  the  skim-milk  as  soon 
as  it  leaves  the  separator  it  will  keep  much 
longer  before  souring.  There  was  a  device  de- 
scribed in  the  dairy  and  creamery  papers  two 
or  three  years  ago,  I  think  by  some  man  in 
Iowa,  that  is  a  successful  contrivance  and  very 
inexpensive.  It  consists  of  a  pail  or  tub  to  set 
into  the  skim-milk  vat  for  the  milk  to  run  into 
from  the  separators  and  a  wooden  cover  that 
drops  inside  not  quite  filling  the  tub  or  pail. 
This  cover  has  a  hole  in  it  through  which  the 
exhaust  steam-pipe  from  the  engine  is  carried, 
reaching  one  or  two  inches  through  the  wooden 
cover  into  the  milk.  The  float  cover  prevents 
the  slop  from  the  boiling  milk  and  allows  the 
milk  to  overflow  around  the  outside  of  it.  The 
exhaust  pipe  must  not  extend  too  far  into  the 
milk  as  it  will  create  a  back  pressure  on  the 


216  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

engine.  We  have  used  this  device  in  the  sum- 
mer months  and  know  that  it  does  efficient 
work,  and  it  costs  nothing  but  to  conduct  the 
steam  to  the  vat.  It  comes  nearer  to  getting 
something  for  nothing  than  we  often  reach.  I 
am  sorry  that  I  do  not  know  the  name  of  the 
inventor,  as  I  should  be  pleased  to  give  him 
credit  for  it  as  a  good  thing.  The  creamery 
proprietor  or  manager  should  do  all  he  can  to 
insure  the  patrons  getting  their  skim-milk  in  the 
best  possible  condition  without  too  much  ex- 
pense. 

Mutual  interests  should  be  regarded.— This 
is  policy;  as  every  little  thing  helps  to  make 
up  the  business.  The  patrons  feel  much  better 
when  the  proprietor  takes  an  interest  in  them 
and  their  work.  In  fact  the  interests  are  large- 
ly mutual.  I  know  of  some  creameries  where 
the  skim-milk  is  run  into  underground  vats 
and  the  proprietors  will  not  comply  with  the 
wishes  of  their  patrons  and  provide  better 
means  of  keeping  the  skim-milk  in  good  condi- 
tion. Such  creamery  men  are  not  deserving  of 
patronage  and  they  usually  do  not  retain  it  a 
great  length  of  time.  If  they  could  have  the 
patron's  experience  in  feeding  the  rotten  milk 
for  a  time  they  would  begin  to  think  in  the 
right  direction.  I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  say 
there  are  not  many  of  this  breed  of  creamery 
men  Left  and  the  earlier  they  are  wiped  out  or 
reformed  the  better. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


CARE  OF  BUILDINGS  AND  UTENSILS. 

The  work-rooms,  utensils,  and  the  drainage 
are  vital  points  in  the  creamery  work.  In  some 
cases  they  are  sadly  neglected. 

A  weak  point. — I  sometimes  think  that  here 
is  the  weakest  part  of  our  creamery  work.  Many 
of  our  creamery  employes  have  not  had  the 
proper  training  in  this  line.  We  have  many 
men  that  are  neat  and  orderly  about  their 
work  and  an  honor  to  their  business.  It  does 
me  good  to  meet  such.  I  feel  that  I  want  to 
shake  with  them. 

Tinware. — All  tinware  in  the  creamery  should 
be  cared  for  the  same  as  in  the  dairy  so  far  as 
possible.  The  vats,  churns,  and  butter -worker 
of  course  cannot  be  put  out  in  the  sun  to  be 
aired  and  sweetened.  Tinware  should  be  wiped 
dry  after  scalding  unless  it  becomes  hot  enough 
by  scalding  to  dry  itself. 

The  churn. — The  churn  is  the  most  neglected 
implement  in  our  creameries.  They  are  a  hard 
thing  to  keep  clean  and  sweet,  especially  the 
box-churns,  as  they  are  so  hard  to  get  into,  but 

(217) 


218 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING; 


they  can  be  kept  perfectly  clean  and  sweet  by 
the  use  of  hot  water  and  scrub  brush  and  steam 
for  scalding.  A  person  can  make  use  of  his 


hands  and  nose  in  this  work.  A  dirty  churn 
can  be  detected  by  a  blind  man,  even  if  he  has 
lost  the  sense  of  smell,  as  the  sense  of  feeling 
will  tell  whether  it  is  clean  or  not. 


CAEE   OF   BUILDINGS   AND   UTENSILS. 


219 


How  to  scald  a  churn. — To  scald  a  churn 
use  a  hose  to  conduct  the  steam  into  the  churn, 
having  the  churn  nearly  closed,  giving  an  op- 
portunity for  the  steam  to  escape  sufficiently 
so  that  it  will  not  burst  the  churn.  We  once 


ruined  by  pressure  of 
Too  long  exposure  to 
the  churn  so  as  to  open 
cially  if  the  churn  is 
this  risk  need  not  be 
churn  can  be  sweetened 


had     a     churn 

confined  steam. 

steam      shrinks 

the  joints,  espe- 

oak  or  ash,  but 

taken     as     the 

without     being 

exposed       long 

enough  to  injure  it.    Care  is 

needed  here  as  in  every  other 

place. 

Use  care  with  a  new  churn. 
Often  a  new  churn  is  injured 
by  not  loosening  the  nuts  on 
the  stay  rods  as  the  churn 
swells  from  the  water  used 
in  cleaning  it.  This  should 
be  closely  watched  for  a  few 
weeks.  I  have  seen  hard- 
wood churns  ruined  in  this 
way.  They  are  usually  made  of  thinner  lum- 
ber than  is  used  in  soft-wood  churns,  and  it  will 
spring  out  of  shape  more  easily.  Neglect  to 
keep  the  churn  clean  is  the  cause  of  much  poor 
butter.  The  butter  may  not  show  any  serious 


220  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

defect  when  fresh,  but  the  germ  is  planted  and 
will  develop  rapidly. 

A  case  in  point. — A  Boston  butter  dealer 
once  told  me  of  traveling  from  Boston  to  Iowa, 
1,200  miles,  to  find  out  what  was  the  trouble 
with  the  butter  from  a  creamery  in  which  he 
was  interested  and  found  it  in  the  churn,  which 
had  not  been  properly  cleaned  and  cared  for. 

The  butter-worker. — The  table  butter-work- 
er is  easily  got  at  to  clean.  It  should  be  thor- 
oughly washed  with  hot  water  and  a  brush  and 
then  scalded  with  boiling  water.  The  churn 
and  butter-worker  should  be  scalded  and  then 
cooled  with  cold  water  before  using.  All 
wooden  utensils  should  have  the  same  treat- 
ment. Also  the  woodwork  of  the  vats. 

The  creamery  drain  should  have  a  trap  to 
prevent  any  foul  air  returning  to  the  inte- 
rior. Many  creameries  are  faulty  in  this  way, 
the  managers  apparently  not  seeming  to  realize 
the  necessity  of  pure  air  and  thorough  cleanli- 
ness, Cream  and  milk  will  absorb  odors  that 
the  nose  cannot  detect.  I  have  several  times 
traced  trouble  with  butter  to  causes  that  my 
nose  could  not  detect  without  close  contact. 

Constant  care  necessary. — Constant  care  is 
necessary  to  success  and  in  no  business  does 
this  show  more  plainly  than  in  the  creamery. 
The  drainage  should  be  carried  from  the  build- 
ing in  underground  sewer  pipes.  If  there  is 


CARE  OF   BUILDINGS   AND   UTENSILS. 


221 


HALF-MOON  SCRUB  BRUSH. 


TAMPICO  CAN  BRUSH. 


COMMON  FLOOR  SCRUB  BRUSH. 


222  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

any  necessary  slop  in  delivering  the  skim-milk 
or  other  by-product  from  the  creamery  keep  it 
sweet  by  the  use  of  boiling  water  and  disin"- 
fectants.  There  should  not  and  need  not  be  any 
bad  smell  about  the  creamery  outside  or  inside. 
All  pumps  should  be  so  constructed  as  to  be 
taken  apart  to  be  cleaned.  Insist  on  this  point. 

Leaky  vats. — Leaky  vats  are  often  the  cause 
of  trouble  as  a  very  small  quantity  of  milk 
when  mixed  with  the  water  surrounding  the 
vat  or  allowed  to  remain  in  the  water  space 
surrounding  the  tin  vat,  will  soon  make  a 
stench  that  will  go  all  through  the  creamery 
and  breed  any  amount  of  trouble.  The  tin  vat 
should  be  removed  from  the  wood  part  of  the 
vat  frequently  and  the  wood  part  thoroughly 
cleaned.  The  gutter  that  conducts  the  waste 
water  and  washings  to  the  sewer  is  also  a  source 
of  trouble  if  not  closely  looked  after.  It  should 
be  treated  to  boiling  water  after  the  floor  is 
cleaned.  Too  much  care  cannot  be  taken  in 
this  part  of  the  work.  If  any  offensive  smell 
meets  you  on  entering  the  creamery  it  should 
be  hunted  out  and  rejnoved  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  boiler. — The  boiler  should  be  blown  off 
and  cleaned  out  as  often  as  necessary  to  keep 
it  clean.  Have  a  certain  day  or  days  of  the 
month  for  this  work  and  do  not  postpone  it, 
as  delays  are  dangerous.  Draw  the  fire  and  let 
the  mason  work  cool  partially  before  blowing 


CARE   OF   BUILDINGS    AND    UTENSILS. 


223 


off;  when  it  can  be  had  use  a  hose  with  a  pres- 
sure of  water  to  wash  the  boiler  out.  With 
some  water  a  boiler  can  be  kept  clean  without 
using  any  kind  of  boiler  compound,  but  with 


IRON  MOP  HEAD. 


other  water  something  of  this  kind  is  needed. 
When  anything  of  this  kind  is  required  be 
careful  that  you  secure  something  that  will  not 
injure  the  boiler.  Do  not  use  anything  that 


WOOD  MOP  HEAD. 


you  know  nothing  about.  If  burning  soft  coal 
the  flues  should  be  cleaned  daily,  the  best  time 
being  in  the  morning  before  starting  the  fire; 
and  if  it  is  a  slow-steaming  boiler  or  there  is  a 
poor  draft  it  may  be  necessary  to  clean  in  the 


224  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

middle  of  the  day;  If  you  ever  get  caught 
with  low  water  in  a  boiler  draw  the  fire  and 
allow  the  steam  to  go  down  before  filling  it. 

Results  of  neglect. — I  recently  saw  a  case 
where  the  flues  of  a  boiler  began  to  leak  and 
had  to  be  repaired,  and  an  investigation  of  the 
case  developed  the  fact  that  the  fire  had  been 
banked  to  hold  over  night  and  the  water  had 
become  so  low  from  the  lost  steam  in  some  way 
that  the  flues  were  exposed  without  water  cov- 
ering them  and  a  leak  was  the  result.  I  also 
saw  a  locomotive  style  of  boiler  leaking  from  a 
crack  in  the  crown  sheet  caused  from  carelessly 
letting  the  water  get  too  low. 

Look  to  safety-valve  daily. — Try  the  safety- 
valve  every  morning  to  see  that  it  is  not  stuck 
fast,  as  they  will  occasionally  stick.  Keep  the 
valves  all  packed  so  they  will  not  leak.  Keep 
all  steam  and  water  joints  tight.  Leaky  valves 
and  joints  are  a  poor  advertisement  for  the 
creamery  manager. 

The  engine. — The  engine  needs  care  as  well 
as  the  boiler,  though  there  is  not  so  much 
danger  resulting  from  carelessness.  Keep  all 
bearings  oiled  and  the  boxes  tight  enough  to 
prevent  pounding.  If  you  have  not  had  expe- 
rience that  has  fitted  you  to  do  this  work  get 
some  one  to  teach  you.  The  trouble  with  some 
men  is  that  they  do  not  appear  to  realize  the 
difference  between  an  engine  key  and  a  forty- 


CARE    OF    BUILDINGS    AND    UTENSILS.          225 

penny  spike.  Either  one  gets  a  full  blow  of 
the  hammer.  We  have  had.  men  in  our  em- 
ploy that  could  not  keep  their  engine  in  order, 
while  their  successors  would  have  it  in  the  best 
of  order  in  a  very  few  days.  This  comes  large- 
ly from  a  lack  of  perseverance  about  details. 

Look  to  the  belts. — Keep  the  belts  in  order; 
do  not  wait  for  them  to  break  before  repairing 
them.  They  should  be  examined  at  the  end  of 
the  day's  work  and  if  out  of  order  repair  them 
before  you  call  the  day's  work  done,  so  as  to  be 
sure  of  making  the  next  day's  run.  It  is  a  ter- 
rible annoyance  to  have  a  belt  break  when 
there  are  several  patrons  waiting.  This,  if  re- 
peated many  times,  destroys  the  confidence  of 
the  patrons  in  the  manager.  Ten  men  with 
their  teams  waiting  one  hour  means  a  day's 
work,  or  $2.50  to  $3,  lost. 

15 


CHAPTER  IX. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  THOSE  ABOUT  TO 
BUILD  A  CREAMERY. 

Location. — When  about  to  build  a  creamery 
one  of  the  first  points  to  settle  is  the  location. 
Here  we  should  be  influenced  by  the  chance 
for  good  drainage  and  the  general  lay  of  the 
ground.  Some  prefer  to  have  a  creamery  built 
with  different  levels,  so  that  the  milk  and 
cream  have  a  down  grade  from  the  weigh-can 
through  to  the  churn.  When  such  a  location 
can  be  secured  it  is  nice  in  many  ways,  but  it 
makes  a  hard  place  to  work,  as  there  is  so 
much  going  up  and  down. 

Which  is  preferable. — I  prefer  a  creamery 
built  all — except  the  receiving-room — on  the 
same  level  and  pumps  used  to  elevate  the  milk 
and  cream.  The  receiving-room  should  be 
enough  higher  than  the  main  floor  so  that  the 
milk  will  run  from  the  weigh-can  into  the  re- 
ceiving vat  and  then  be  pumped  into  the  tem- 
pering vat.  The  cream  also  to  be  pumped  high 
enough  to  run  over  a  cooler  placed  over  the 
cream  vat  so  that  the  cream  drops  from  the 
cooler  into  the  cream  vat. 

(226) 


CREAMERY   BUILDING.  227 

Can  elevate  cream  vat. — The  cream  vat 
may  have  its  legs  extended  so  that  it  is  high 
enough  to  flow  into  the  churn.  All  pumps  in 
a  creamery  that  are  used  to  pump  whole  milk 
and  cream  should  be  so  made  that  they  can  be 
taken  apart  to  be  cleaned,  and  it  is  best  that 
the  skim-milk  pump  be  made  in  the  same  way. 
This  removes  the  objection  to  a  pump  in  a 
creamery,  or  at  least  it  removes  the  vital  objec- 
tion of  un cleanliness,  as  a  pump  made  so  as  to 
be  taken  to  pieces  can  be  kept  as  clean  as  any 
other  utensil  in  the  creamery. 

Creamery  floor. — The  floor  should  be  put  on 
the  ground,  and  if  made  of  wood  should  be 
laid  in  cinders,  as  it  will  then  not  decay  as  fast 
as  if  laid  on  the  dirt.  I  have  had  twelve 
years'  experience  with  both  wood  and  cement 
floors,  and  my  opinion  of  the  merits  of  the  two 
is  but  little  changed  from  what  it  was  eight  or 
ten  years  ago.  I  think  a  little  more  favorably 
of  the  cement  floor  than  I  formerly  did,  and 
think  I  should  now  use  it  if  I  could  be  sure  of 
securing  a  man  to  put  it  in  that  I  knew  under- 
stood the  business;  otherwise  I  would  use  two- 
inch  flooring,  filling  up  between  the  joists  with 
cinders  so  the  flooring  would  rest  on  the  cin- 
ders. A  cement  floor  will  wear  out  in  time  and 
is  difficult  to  repair.  All  creamery  floors  should 
pitch  to  the  gutter. 

A  trap  necessary. — Do  not  fail  to  put  a  trap 


228 


AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 


in  the  sewer.    This  may  be  of  sewer  pipe  or  of 
wood.    A  wooden  trap  put  inside  the  building 


is  the  most  convenient  to  clean  and  keep  in 
good  order.  It  is  simply  a  box  which  the 
gutter  flows  through,  the  outlet  being  at  least 


CREAMERY   BUILDING. 


229 


one  inch  lower  than  the  inlet,  with  a  partition 
in  it  which  reaches  within  two  inches  of  the 
bottom  of  the  box  and  below  the  outlet.  This 


box  is  built  or  placed  under  the  floor  in  such  a 
position  that  the  cover  forms  a  part  of  the 
floor  and  can  be  removed  readily  to  clean  the 
dirt  out  of  the  trap. 


230  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

Importance  of  drainage.  —  The  drainage 
should  be  conducted  at  least  forty  rods  away 
from  the  building  and  a  greater  distance  is 
better.  Creamery  drainage  is  very  offensive  in 
hot  weather. 

Criticisms  of  plan. — The  accompanying  plan 
shows  a  very  well  arranged  creamery.  The 
driveway  and  receiving  platform  should  be  two 
feet  higher,  which  would  make  it  much  easier 
emptying  the  cans  into  the  weigh-can.  The 
engine  is  in  the  room  with  the  separators.  This 
is  as  it  should  be.  The  engine  should  not  be  in 
the  room  with  the  boiler.  There  is  too  much 
dust  from  the  coal  and  ashes  and  it  is  more 
convenient  to  get  at  in  the  room  with  the  sep- 
arators. The  cream  vats  are  in  a  room  separate 
from  the  separator-room  and  churn-room.  The 
churn  and  butter- worker  are  in  one  room. 
This  is  a  good  arrangement.  This  room  should 
be  so  arranged  that  the  temperature  can  be 
controlled  during  the  time  of  churning  and 
working  the  butter.  The  temperature  of  the 
cream  must  be  held  down  during  the  churning 
process  to  secure  the  best  results  in  quality  and 
quantity  of  butter.  A  high  temperature  will  not 
secure  the  desired  object.  The  temperature  may 
be  controlled  from  the  refrigerator  or  by  having 
an  ice-box  in  the  room  built  so  as  to  obtain  a 
circulation  of  air  about  the  ice.  It  is  desirable 
to  control  the  temperature  of  the  cream-room 


CREAMERY   BUILDING.  231 

also,  and  it  may  be  done  in  the  same  way  that 
the  churn-room  is  controlled.  I  do  not  like 
the  plan  of  having  the  separators,  cream  vats, 
churn,  and  butter-worker  all  in  one  room.  It 
is  impractical  to  control  the  temperature  of 
such  a  room  in  hot  weather  so  as  to  secure  the 
best  results.  An  ice-cooler  in  a  cream  or  churn- 
room  helps  to  secure  a  pure  atmosphere,  as  the 
air  deposits  impurities  when  coming  in  contact 
with  ice  which  are  carried  off  with  the  water. 
This  can  be  demonstrated  by  tasting  water  from 
melting  ice  that  has  impure  air  circulating 
about  it. 

Tempering  vat. — Have  an  overflow  in  the 
tempering  vat  and  conduct  the  overflow  back 
to  the  vat  from  which  the  milk  is  pumped.  Or 
when  the  tempering  vat  is  lower  than  the  re- 
ceiving vat  the  milk  can  be  allowed  to  flow 
into  the  tempering  vat  and  be  controlled  by  a 
valve  to  which  a  float  is  attached.  It  is  best  to 
keep  a  uniform  depth  of  milk  in  the  tempering 
vat.  This  is  not  a  necessity  when  a  float  is 
used  in  connection  with  the  separator  faucet, 
as  is  the  case  with  most  separators.  The  ob- 
ject is  to  secure  a  uniform  feed  of  milk  to  the 
separators.  This  must  be  accomplished  in  some 
way. 

Act  with  caution. — The  cost  of  a  creamery 
is  a  matter  for  careful  consideration.  Every 
dairy  implement  dealer  will  furnish  plans  and 


232 


AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 


most  of  them  estimates  of  the  cost  both  of 
building  and  equipments.  Go  slow  and  be  care- 
ful in  this  part  of  the  work.  Do  not  make  con- 


tracts with  parties  until  you  have  informed 
yourself  of  their  responsibility  (as  there  are  a 
plenty  of  reliable  firms)  and  have  learned  what 
such  a  plant  as  you  wish  to  build  should  cost. 


CREAMERY   BUILDING. 


233 


If  there  is  doubt  about  the  amount  of  business 
that  will  be  done  keep  on  the  safe  side  and  do 
not  build  too  large.  If  the  business  outgrows 


the  plant  you  can  afford  to  enlarge  it.    Keep 
this  in  view  when  building  and  arrange  so  it 


234  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

can  be  enlarged  if  needed  and  still  be  in  con- 
venient shape. 

Necessary  investment.— The  amount  to  be 
invested  in  a  creamery  plant  depends  on  the 
amount  of  business  that  is  expected  to  be  done. 
$2,500  to  $3,500  is  sufficient  to  build  and  equip 
a  creamery  to  handle  10,000  to  15,000  Ibs.  of 
milk  per  day.  The  cost  will  vary  with  the  cost 
of  material  in  different  localities. 

Boiler  and  engine. — When  purchasing  boiler 
and  engine  have  the  boiler  of  50  per  cent 
greater  capacity  than  the  engine.  There  are 
two  reasons  for  this.  One  is  the  amount  of 
steam  required  for  purposes  about  the  creamery 
and  the  other  is  that  the  larger  boiler  does  not 
need  as  much  time  spent  in  firing.  This  is 
quite  an  item  in  a  creamery  as  a  person  cannot 
be  employed  for  this  work  alone. 

Look  out  for  a  good  draft. — Have  as  direct 
a  draft  as  possible  to  the  smoke-stack.  Every 
turn  checks  the  draft.  A  good  draft  is  economi- 
cal of  fuel,  also  of  time  and  patience.  A  per- 
son that  can  have  patience  with  a  poor-draft 
boiler  will  probably  have  sufficient  to  get  along 
with  the  patrons.  As  annoying  work  as  I 
ever  did  was  firing  a  boiler  with  a  poor 
draft.  The  fact  that  this  is  an  unnecessary 
evil  makes  it  more  aggravating.  Too  low 
a  smoke-stack  or  too  many  turns  is  usually 
the  cause.  In  closing  this  chapter  I  would  ad- 


CREAMERY   BUILDING.  235 

vise  anyone  about  to  build  a  creamery  to  get 
what  information  they  can  at  home,  then  visit 
some  modern-built  creameries  and  get  the  latest 
ideas.  The  time  and  money  necessary  for  this 
will  be  well  spent  and  probably  saved  several 
times  over  before  the  creamery  is  completed. 
Do  not  go  it  blind  in  building  a  creamery.  Do 


IMPROVED  POWER  ROTARY  FORCE  PUMP. 

not  rely  too  much  on  some  interested  party.  See 
your  way  clear  before  starting  out.  There  is 
some  money  in  the  business  when  managed 
with  skill,  and  if  not  money  can  be  lost  and  is 
lost  very  fast. 

Skim  stations. — I  have  had  some  experience 
with  these,  having  had  an  interest  in  two,  one 
of  which  has  been  in  operation  three  years  and 
the  other  one  two  years.  This  was  a  live  ques- 


236  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

tion  in  the  Pennsylvania  State  College  dairy 
school  in  1893,  the  class  becoming  so  much  in- 
terested in  it  that  leaders  were  selected  and  an 
evening  spent  in  discussing  the  question  pro 
and  con.  I  am  now  in  the  position  in  which  I 
do  not  like  to  see  another  person;  i.  e.,  on  the 
fence.  I  am  satisfied  that  there  are  localities 
and  conditions  where  it  is  advisable  to  operate 
skim  stations  in  connection  with  a  central 
creamery.  But  I  do  not  believe  it  is  desirable 
under  all  conditions.  It  is  necessary  where  a 
skim  station  is  built  new  to  be  operated  sum- 
mer and  winter  to  invest  about  two-thirds  as 
much  as  would  be  necessary  to  make  it  a  com- 
plete plant.  Power  must  be  had,  also  water 
and  a  separator.  This,  with  vats,  shafting, 
pumps,  etc.,  added  to  the  cost  of  the  building 
makes  more  of  an  investment  than  is  at  first 
thought  to  be  necessary.  A  good  supply  of 
cold  water  is  necessary  to  cool  the  cream,  in 
lieu  of  which  ice  must  be  used,  as  the  cream 
must  be  thoroughly  cooled  as  fast  as  skimmed 
and  kept  cool  until  delivered  to  the  central 
creamery.  A  cooler  like  the  Star  or  the  Danish 
Weston  are  very  efficient  for  this  work.  If 
this  cream  is  not  thoroughly  cooled  from  the 
separator  or  is  allowed  to  become  warm  on  the 
road  it  will  churn  and  also  become  too  sour 
and  there  will  be  trouble  with  the  butter.  I 
know  these  difficulties  can  be  overcome,  as  I 


CREAMERY   BUILDING.  237 

see  them  overcome  day  after  day  with  the  tem- 
perature up  in  the  nineties.  Sometimes  room 
can  be  rented  for  this  purpose  at  a  price  to 
make  it  more  economical  than  to  build.  Power 
may  also  be  rented  to  advantage  at  times. 

I  do  not  feel  like  advising  for  or  against  the 
skim  station.  I  believe  every  one  must  study 
and  figure  his  own  way  out  in  such  matters. 
My  firm  is  operating  one  skim  station  at  my 
farm,  where  I  had  a  farm  creamery  building  in 
which  I  made  butter  when  I  lived  there.  I 
also  had  a  well  and  a  steam  boiler,  so  the  main 
investment  necessary  was  in  the  separator.  In 
this  line  there  are  scarcely  two  cases  alike,  so 
it  is  impractical  to  give  intelligent  advice.  Ex- 
perience is  valuable,  but  we  often  secure  it  at 
too  great  a  cost. 


CHAPTER  X. 


GATHERED-CREAM  WORK. 

My  experience  in  the  gathered-cream  busi- 
ness began  in  the  early  days  of  the  work  when 
all  the  cream  was  bought  by  the  gauge,  or  113 
cubic  inches,  which  was  supposed  to  make  a 
pound  of  butter,  no  matter  whether  it  was 
winter  or  summer,  nor  whether  it  was  raised  in 
ice  water  or  in  water  at  60  deg.  Fah. 

Surplus  and  shortage. — We  always  had  a 
surplus  in  the  summer  and  a  shortage  in  win- 
ter that  more  than  balanced  the  surplus  of  the 
summer.  The  shortage  always  came  when  the 
butter  was  at  the  highest  price  of  the  year  and 
one  pound  shortage  would  be  equal  to  two 
pounds  surplus  in  money  value.  I  learned  sev- 
eral things  in  this  work  and  it  cost  me  some- 
thing to  learn.  I  learned  some  things  that  I 
did  not  care  to  learn  as  it  caused  me  to  have 
less  faith  in  the  honesty  of  some  persons,  and  I 
also  learned  that  a  patron  could  secure  pay  for 
more  than  he  sold  without  being  dishonest.  In 
fact  if  he  handled  his  milk  in  a  way  to  secure 
all  of  the  cream  possible  he  would  secure  a 
quality  that  when  sold  on  the  gauge  plan  would 
beat  the  creamery  eight  months  out  of  twelve. 


GATHERED-CREAM   WORK. 


239 


The  cream  gauge.— The  gauge  of  113  cubic 
inches  was  made  to  fit  average  work,  but  aver- 
age work  does  not  secure  all  of  the  cream;  it 
allows  the  profit  to  go  to  the  calves  and  pigs 
in  the  skim-milk. 

Comparative  profit  of  whole  milk  and 
gathered-cream  work.— In  1882  I  made  some 
comparisons  of  our  gathered-cream  and  whole- 
milk  work  to  learn  what  our  patrons  received 
for  their  milk  by  the  two  systems.  In  making 


CREAM  VAT  STRAINER. 


this  comparison  I  allowed  10  cents  per  100  Ibs. 
for  delivering  the  milk  to  the  creamery  or 
cheese  factory  and  15  cents  per  100  Ibs.  for  the 
difference  between  the  feeding  value  of  skim- 
milk  and  whey,  and  deducted  this  25  cents  from 
the  price  received  by  the  patron  who  delivered 
his  milk  at  the  creamery  before  comparing  it 
with  the  price  received  by  the  patron  who  sold 
cream.  At  that  time  we  kept  a  record  of  the 
cans  skimmed  for  the  patrons,  and  knowing 
what  the  cans  held  it  could  be  got  at  as  closely 
as  necessary,  Figured  on  this  basis  the  result 


FV*"bt  IHB^^S 
UFIVBRSIT7] 


240 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


was  as  follows  for  the   several  months  from 
May  to  November: 


Cream- 
ery divi- 
dend. 

Less 
twen- 
ty-five 
cents. 

To  compare 
with  gath- 
ered cream 
dividend. 

Gathered 
cream,  div- 
idend — 
cents. 

Differ- 
ence — 
cents. 

May  

$0  89 

-25 

$0  64 

58 

6 

June  

83 

25 

58 

49 

9 

July  

81 

25 

56 

47 

9 

August  

1  02 

25 

.77 

49 

28 

September.  .  . 
October  

1.25 
1.43 

25 

25 

1.00 
1.18 

611 

741 

38i 
33* 

November  .  .  . 

1.49 

25 

1.24 

89 

35 

My  firm  formerly  did  gathered-cream  work  at 
all  of  our  creameries,  but  it  gradually  changed 
to  the  plan  of  de- 
livering of  the  milk 
to  the  creameries, 
so  that  we  have  not 
for  several  years 
done  anything  in 
the  gathered-cream 
work.  When  in  that 
work  I  tried  as  hard 
to  make  a  success 
of  it  as  I  have  of 
any  part  of  my  busi- 
ness. These  com- 
parisons were  made 
when  we  were  mak- 
ing butter  and 
cheese,  setting  our 
milk  in  pools  to 


DRIVER'S  MEASURING  PAIL. 


GATHERED-CREAM    WORK. 


241 


raise  the  cream  and  making  the  skim-milk  into 
cheese.  With  the  advent  of  the  separator  the 
comparison  would  be  more  in  favor  of  the 
whole-milk  work. 

Test  plan  in  gathered-cream  work.— After 
a  few  years'  work  with  the  gauge  plan  of  pay- 
ing for  cream  we  adopted  the  test  plan,  using 
the  oil-test  churn  to  decide  the  butter  value  of 
the  cream.  This  proved  to  be  quite  reliable 

and  accurate.  The 
greatest  trouble 
we  encountered 
was  to  make  the 
cream  gatherers 
realize  the  neces- 
sity  of  care  in  se- 
curing  the  sample 
of  cream  to  be 
tested.  With  care- 
ful work  we  found 
the  test  and  churn  to  agree  so  closely  as  to  sur- 
prise us.  This  plan  of  paying  also  did  justice 
between  the  different  patrons. 

Pioneer  work. — I  look  upon  gathering  cream 
as  pioneer  work.  There  are  many  sections 
where  it  can  be  made  a  success  and  the  whole- 
milk  work  could  not.  The  gathered-cream 
work  can  cover  so  much  more  territory  that  it 
can  secure  a  business  where  there  cannot  be 
milk  enough  secured  to  make  a  paying  business. 

16 


242 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


Gathering  cans  and  tanks. — In  my  early 
experience  I  used  the  common  eight-gallon 
milk  can  to  transport  the  cream;  later  on  we 


used  the  jacketed  can,  which  had  a  space  out- 
side the  cream  can  for  air.  It  also  had  a 
floating  cover  that  rested  on  the  cream  to  pre- 
vent churning  by  agitation  of  the  cream.  Later 
still  the  tank  or  vat  came  into  use,  and  this 


GATHERED-CREAM   WORK. 


243 


was  a  great  improvement  over  the  can.  There 
was  less  churning  and  the  temperature  was 
much  less  affected  by  the  weather  both  in  win- 
ter and  in  summer. 

Use  of  ice. — In  extreme  hot  weather  we  used 
ice  in  the  vat,  putting  it  in  at  the  creamery 

when  the  wagon 
started  on  its  daily 
route.  I  do  not  like 
to  use  ice  in  contact 
with  cream  or  but- 
ter, but  it  is  better 
to  use  it  than  to  al- 
low the  cream  to  be- 
come too  sour,  as  it 
is  sure  to  in  extreme 
hot  weather  without 
some  precaution.  It 
is  desirable  to  get 
the  cream  to  the 
creamery  sweet  and 
then  ripen  it  to  suit  your  ideas  of  what  brings 
the  best  results. 

Churned  the  day  gathered. — I  have  in  some 
cases  cooled  and  churned  the  cream  the  after- 
noon after  it  was  brought  in,  knowing  that  it 
would  be  too  soar  the  next  morning  to  make  a 
good  quality  of  butter. 

Gathered-cream  and  whole-milk  butter.— 
It  is  possible  to  make  as  fine  butter  from 


HANEY'S  JACKETED  CREAM-CARRIER. 


244  AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 

gathered  cream  as  is  made  by  the  whole-milk 
creameries,  but  it  is  not  done  as  a  rule.  Where 
it  is  done  all  the  conditions  are  favorable.  If 
all  the  patrons  would  use  a  submerged  can  and 
ice-water  to  cool  the  milk,  which  should  be 
skimmed  at  twenty-four  hours  and  the  cream 
delivered  at  the  creamery  sweet,  there  is  no 
reason  why  first-class  butter  cannot  be  made, 
but  if  the  patrons  are  allowed  to  use  all  sorts 
of  vessels  to  set  their  milk  in  and  set  it  in  all 
sorts  of  places,  where  it  will  be  exposed  to  im- 
pure air  such  as  may  be  found  in  a  vegetable 
cellar  or  in  the  kitchen,  or  various  places  that 
might  be  mentioned,  it  cannot  be  expected  to 
make  fine  butter.  I  have  seen  gathered  cream 
that  when  heated  to  110  deg.  and  exposed  to 
the  nose  was  a  revelation  to  the  possessor  of 
the  nose.  It  revealed  where  it  had  been  be- 
yond question.  Such  cream  cannot  be  made 
into  fine  butter.  If  I  was  about  to  start  a 
gathered-cream  business  I  should  use  and  com- 
pel the  use  of  some  submerged  cans,  even  if  I 
had  to  furnish  them  and  rent  them  to  the 
patrons. 

Submerged  can. — The  submerged  can  is  a 
protection  from  heat  and  cold  as  well  as  foul 
odors.  This  system  can  be  used  in  any  cheap 
room  or  house,  or  even  out  under  the  trees 
where  it  is  convenient  to  the  water. 

Pioneer  work. — We  had  much  to  contend 


GATHERED-CREAM   WORK. 


245 


with  in  the  West  in  the  pioneer  work  with 
gathered  cream,  as  many  did  not  have  water 
and  were  compelled  to  use  pans  and  crocks  to  set 


their  milk  in,,  and  to  set  the  same  in  many 
places  where  they  should  not.  The  Eastern  or 
New  England  creameries  have  not  had  one- 


246 


AMERICAN   DAIRYING. 


fourth  as  much  to  overcome  in  this  line  as  we 
have  in  the  West.  I  know  this,  as  I  am  a  New 
Hampshire-born  man,  coming  West  when  six- 
teen years  old.  I  say  to  all  gathered-cream 
men  that  are  not  using  some  dairy  test  that 
you  should  do  so  by  all  means.  If  you  succeed 
in  doing  justice  between  yourself  and  your 
patrons  as  a  whole,  you  cannot  do  justice  be- 
tween the  different  patrons  without  the  test; 


RUSSIAN  BABCOCK  TESTER. 


and  here  is  the  foundation  of  all  creamery 
work.  An  injustice  anywhere  is  sure  to  breed 
dissatisfaction  and  end  in  justice  prevailing  or 
in  the  business  going  to  pieces.  This  is  inevit- 
able. 

The  Babcock  test. — The  Babcock  test  has 
come  into  the  field  since  my  firm  dropped  the 
gathered-cream  work.  We  use  the  Babcock 
machine  to  test  cream  that  we  ship  to  Chicago, 
and  I  see  no  reason  why  it  is  not  an  improve- 


GATHERED-CREAM    WORK. 


247 


ment  over  the  old  oil-test  churn  for  use  in 
gathered-cream  work. 

Since  writing  the  foregoing  I  have  received 
from  the  Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment 


Station,  New  Haven,  Conn.,  " Bulletin  No.  119," 
on  "The  Babcock  Test  as  a  Basis  for  Payment 
in  Cream-Gathering  Creameries." 


248 


AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 


It  first  shows  the  defects  of  the  old  gauge 
system,  which  I  have  already  written  about. 
The  apparatus  for  weighing  and  sampling  the 
cream  is  illustrated,  and  consists  of  a  pail 
eight  inches  in  diameter  and  twenty-two  inches 
deep,  a  spring  balance,  a  sampling  tube,  collect- 
ing bottles  for  the  driver  to  bring  samples  of 
each  patron's  cream  at  each  trip,  and  the  com- 
posite sample  bottle,  which  may  be  a  half-pint 
jar.  Instructions  for  sampling  and  weighing 
are  given.  Bichromate  of  potash  is  recom- 
mended as  a  preservative  of  the  composite 
samples.  An  18  c.  c.  pipette  is  used  to  meas- 
ure the  cream  for  testing.  The  test  bottle  used 
is  graduated  from  0  to  30,  having  a  large  neck, 
it  being  made  to  test  cream.  The  acid,  the 
acid  measure  and  the  centrifugal  machine  are 
the  same  as  used  in  testing  milk,  and  the  work 
of  testing  is  practically  the  same  as  in  testing 
milk. 

The  bulletin  contains  six  very  interesting 
and  instructive  tables  showing  the  variations 
in  cream  from  different  patrons,  besides  much 
valuable  information  for  persons  operating 
gathered-cream  creameries,  and  they  should 
secure  a  copy  of  it  if  possible. 


CHAPTER  XL 


A  TALK  WITH    CREAMERY    EMPLOYES. 

There  is  probably  no  line  of  employment 
where  there  is  more  to  induce  the  workmen  to 
slight  their  work  than  in  creameries.  There 
are  no  fixed  hours  of  labor,  but  it  is  commence 
early  and  work  until  the  work  is  done.  It  may 
be  necessary  to  commence  at  4  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  work  until  2  p,  m.  This  is  fre- 
quently the  case  where  one  man  is  doing  the 
work  and  it  is  necessary  to  do  the  churning  and 
butter-working  before  the  milk  arrives.  Or  the 
labor  may  commence  at  6  o'clock  and  end  at 
4  o'clock  p.  m.  In  either  case  there  are  no 
regular  hours  of  labor.  Here  is  where  many 
stumble.  The  situation  is  like  when  we  were 
boys  and  were  told  that  when  we  had  done  a 
certain  amount  of  work  we  could  go  fishing  or 
hunting,  or  to  play  at  some  favorite  game.  We 
all  remember  how  hard  we  would  work  to  get 
this  amount  of  work  done  as  soon  as  possible 
so  as  to  have  as  long  a  time  as  possible  to  hunt, 
fish  or  play,  as  we  preferred.  The  situation  is 
very  similar  with  many  creamery  employes, 

(249) 


'250  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

and  the  result  is  there  is  too  much  hustle  and 
hurry.  The  work  many  times  is  not  properly 
done.  There  is  a  failure  to  get  the  water  used 
in  washing  hot  enough  to  remove  the  grease, 
or  if  it  is  at  the  proper  temperature  when 
commencing  work  it  soon  cools  so  that  it  does 
not  do  effectual  work,  and  the  desire  to  get 
through  as  soon  as  possible  leads  to  the  use  of 
water  not  possessing  the  necessary  heat.  There 
is  really  no  time  gained  here,  as  hot  water  does 
its  work  so  much  quicker  that  time  is  saved  by 
renewing  the  water.  As  soon  as  water  fails  to 
remove  dirt  and  grease  stop  and  renew  it  and 
make  time  by  it.  I  find  more  men  stumbling 
here  than  anywhere  else  in  the  creamery  work. 
When  a  person  fails  to  keep  the  utensils  in  the 
creamery  clean  he  is  negligent  about  the  pa- 
trons' cans,  and  the  milk  gets  off  flavor  from 
this  cause  and  is  received  in  an  off  condition. 
There  is  a  general  loss  of  grip  on  the  work  all 
down  the  line  and  the  result  inevitably  is  a  loss 
of  flavor  in  the  butter,  a  loss  of  profit  and  gen- 
eral demoralization.  You  may  think  this  is 
overdrawn,  but  it  is  not.  I  have  repeatedly 
seen  this  very  situation.  My  firm  is  just  now 
putting  in  a  boiler  to  replace  one  that  is  six 
years  old  and  that  was  ruined  by  the  foreman 
failing  to  care  for  it  as  he  was  instructed  to  do 
and  deceiving  us  in  regard  to  the  matter.  He 
failed  to  clean  the  boiler  and  allowed  the  mud 


A   TALK   WITH   CREAMERY   EMPLOYES.        251 

and  lime  to  collect  in  the  bottom  until  it 
reached  the  lower  row  of  flues  and  blistered 
the  boilers  over  the  fire.  We  got  it  patched  at 
the  time,  but  we  might  better  have  thrown  it 
away,  as  we  have  expended  on  it  altogether 
nearly  enough  to  purchase  a  new  boiler  and 
now  we  are  compelled  to  throw  it  away;  and 
we  are  putting  in  place  of  it  a  boiler  that  is 
twice  as  old  and  is  nearly  as  good  as  new.  The 
first  was  ruined  by  carelessness  and  the  other 
one  was  cared  for  properly  and  is  still  a  good 
boiler.  I  write  this  to  show  the  difference  in 
men. 

Scarcely  a  year  passes  that  we  do  not  drop 
men  from  our  employment  simply  because 
they  have  not  grip  enough  to  do  as  well  as  they 
know  how.  They  "play  boy"  with  their  work 
and  the  result  is  they  have  to  make  way  for 
some  one  who  will  attend  to  business.  I  fre- 
quently hear  men  say  they  are  earning  all  or 
more  than  they  get.  On  the  other  side  I  re- 
cently heard  a  young  man  say  he  did  not  expect 
an  advance  in  salary  until  he  had  proven  by 
his  work  that  he  was  worth  to  his  employer 
more  than  he  was  receiving.  He  recently  se- 
cured an  advance  of  $25  per  month  at  a  time 
that  many  were  accepting  less  salary  and  some 
losing  their  positions  entirely.  Every  true  man 
or  woman  respects  a  person  that  does  honorable 
work  well.  I  have  seen  ditchers  that  I  felt  like 


252  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

lifting  my  hat  to,  and  so  it  is  in  all  lines  of 
work.  A  faithful,  intelligent  workman  is  sure 
to  reap  his  reward.  If  one  employer  will  not 
do  him  justice  another  one  will;  we  all  find  our 
level  in  time;  this  is  inevitable.  And  whether 
this  level  be  high  or  low  depends  on  ourselves 
to  a  great  degree. 

Do  all  your  work  about  the  creamery  in  a 
tidy  manner;  put  the  dishcloths  through  the  vat 
gates  and  do  not  leave  them  so  that  a  person's 
finger  inserted  in  them  will  show  grease  or 
filth.  Fix  those  milk  pumps  so  you  can  take 
them  to  pieces  to  be  cleaned.  They  are  unsafe 
if  not  so  treated.  Clean  all  utensils  so  you  are 
not  afraid  to  have  your  best  suit  come  in  con- 
tact with  them  and  are  not  ashamed  to  show 
them  to  a  tidy  housekeeper.  By  the  way.  a 
tidy  housekeeper  could  give  many  of  us  point- 
ers that  would  be  of  great  value  to  us.  One  of 
the  best  men  I  ever  had  in  my  employ  never 
left  the  creamery  in  the  afternoon  until  he  had 
inspected  all  the  machinery,  belting,  etc.,  and 
knew  it  was  in  condition  to  make  a  day's  run. 
This  man  was  given  employment  as  long  as  he 
could  be  induced  to  stay.  A  man  that  will  do 
as  well  as  he  knows  how  every  day  in  the  year 
is  a  jewel,  and  he  is  sure  to  succeed.  The  uten- 
sils in  a  creamery  are  short-lived  with  good 
care,  but  with  a  careless  man  they  are  doubly 
so.  Some  men  handle  everything  properly 


A   TALK   WITH   CREAMERY   EMPLOYES.        253 

and  others  drop  or  throw  everything  they 
handle.  The  careful  man  can  save  to  his  em- 
ployer half  his  salary  over  the  careless  man. 
The  time  is  approaching  when  more  will  be  re- 
quired of  creamery  employes  in  the  way  of 
knowledge  of  their  work,  good  judgment  and 
skill.  We  are  progressing  in  this  work  rapidly 
and  this  progress  is  likely  to  continue  so  it  will 
be  necessary  for  men  in  this  line  of  work  to 
keep  alive  and  up  to  date. 

If  you  have  regard  for  your  future  reputation, 
usefulness  and  financial  success  be  careful  and 
neat  about  your  work.  Do  not  let  an  hour's 
time  per  day  now  prevent  your  securing  an  ad- 
vance of  $10  per  month  next  year.  Your  em- 
ployer has  a  right  to  expect  value  received  for 
the  salary  he  pays  you.  As  I  have  said  before, 
make  yourself  a  necessity.  You  should  take 
and  read  at  least  one  live  creamery  paper,  and 
more  than  one  will  pay  you  well.  Remember 
there  are  a  plenty  of  men  that  know  more  than 
we  do,  and  a  plenty  that  do  not  know  any  more 
that  can  give  us  valuable  ideas.  Yes,  there  are 
many  that  know  much  less  than  we  do  that 
have  some  information  that  we  have  not  and 
that  we  can  use  to  our  advantage.  As  a  practi- 
cal illustration  in  this  line  I  will  give  a  little 
information  that  I  picked  up  in  the  past  few 
months.  A  certain  creamery  that  I  know  well 
has  had  a  market  for  its  butter  for  several  years 


254  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

in  an  Eastern  city.  In  1893  a  part  of  the  sum- 
mer make  was  put  in  the  cold  and  held  until 
winter.  W  hen  it  was  taken  out  arid  put  on  the 
market  it  was  found  that  it  had  not  kept  well. 
This  was  a  surprise  to  the  holder  and  to  the 
creamery  proprietor  too,  as  the  goods  had  prev- 
iously kept  well  in  the  cold  and  made  the  holder 
some  money;  but  in  1893  it  made  quite  a  large 
loss  and  of  course  in  1894  the  goods  had  to 
hunt  a  new  customer  and  the  proprietor  of  the 
creamery  secured  a  new  butter-maker.  Here 
was  a  money  loss  to  the  purchaser  of  the  but- 
ter, a  loss  of  a  position  to  the  butter- maker  and 
a  loss  of  business  to  the  creamery  proprietor, 
all  from  failing  to  do  as  well  as  a  person  knew 
how.  As  time  passes  along  more  will  be  ex- 
pected of  creamery  employes  in  the  way  of  in- 
telligence and  good  judgment.  We  have  a 
great  deal  to  learn  in  this  line  yet.  Let  us  not 
run  away  with  the  idea  that  we  are  smarter 
than  other  people.  We  show  a  weakness  when 
we  do  it. 

Dr.  Bernstrom  of  Stockholm,  Sweden,  said 
to  me  a  few  years  ago  that  when  we  made  as 
good  butter  as  they  did  in  Sweden  we  could 
crowd  them  out  of  the  English  market.  I 
asked  him  what  was  the  lowest  price  they  re- 
ceived in  the  English  market  for  their  butter 
and  he  said  twenty-five  cents  per  pound.  The 
Elgin  market  was  at  that  time  eighteen  cents. 


A   TALK    WITH   CREAMERY   EMPLOYES.         255 

Here  was  a  margin  of  seven  cents  between  the 
best  Elgin  and  Swedish  butter  in  England.  I 
advise  all  who  possibly  can  to  take  a  course  in 
some  of  our  dairy  schools.  It  will  pay  you. 
And  do  not  go  with  the  idea  that  there  are  only 
one  or  two  points  that  you  need  information 
upon.  I  have  known  men  with  that  idea  to  be 
very  much  surprised  with  the  combined  infor- 
mation they  came  in  contact  with.  It  is  not 
alone  the  knowledge  of  the  instructors,  but  in 
addition  you  get  what  a  skillful  teacher  can 
draw  out  of  the  class;  and  a  class  of  men 
some  of  whom  have  had  several  years'  experi- 
ence contains  a  remarkable  fund  of  informa- 
tion. 

A  majority  of  the  butter-makers  of  the  future 
will  have  had  .some  experience  in  dairy-school 
work.  As  a  pointer  here  I  wish  to  state  a  fact: 
A  large  per  cent  of  the  students  at  the  1894 
Pennsylvania  Dairy  School  in  creamery  class 
had  positions  engaged  before  attending  the 
creamery  course  and  they  were  secured  in 
many  cases  with  the  understanding  that  a 
course  should  be  taken  in  the  dairy  school. 
This  was  a  part  of  the  contract.  I  wish  to  talk 
on  one  point  here  that  perhaps  should  have 
been  treated  elsewhere.  That  is  the  change 
that  is  coming  upon  us,  caused  by  the  improved 
methods  of  holding  butter  in  the  cold-storage 
warehouses.  This  is  sure  to  increase  the  de- 


256  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

inand  for  butter  when  the  price  is  low.  I  have 
heard  butter-makers  say  they  made  butter  to 
sell,  not  to  hold.  This  is  foolish  talk,  as  the 
time  is  near  at  hand  when  summer  butter  to 
sell  will  need  to  be  made  so  that  it  will  hold 
well.  The  fine  qualities  of  butter  are  not  sac- 
rificed when  it  is  made  to  hold.  We  add  to  the 
value  of  the  butter  when  we  make  it  so  it  will 
hold  well. 


APPENDIX. 


AN  ACID  TEST  OF  CREAM. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  ILLINOIS  EXPERIMENT  STATION  "BULLE- 
TIN NO.  32,"  BY  E.  H.  FARRINGTON,  M.  S. 

The  sourness  of  cream  is  one  of  the  things  considered  by 
many  dairymen  in  making  butter.  They  may  not  agree  on 
the  amount  of  acidity  that  cream  should  have  when  it  is 
ready  for  churning,  but  many  base  their  judgment  on  the 
taste  or  appearance  of  the  cream. 

The  first  record  of  a  measurement  of  the  acidity  of  cream 
before  churning,  so  far  as  known  to  the  writer,  was  reported 
in  1887  by  John  Sebelein,  in  "Versuchs-Stationen,"  XXXIV, 
p.  94.  He  used  an  alkaline  liquid  of  known  strength  (one- 
tenth  normal)  and  by  adding  a  few  drops  of  a  liquid  indicator, 
phenolphtalein,  to  a  measured  quantity  of  cream  (50  c.  c.,  or 
about  one- tenth  of  a  pint,)  the  amount  of  acid  in  the  cream 
was  estimated  by  measuring  the  quantity  of  the  alkaline 
liquid  that  it  was  necessary  to  add  to  the  50  c.  c.  of  cream  in 
order  to  produce  a  pink  color  in  the  cream  tested.  The  in- 
dicator, phenolphtalein,  has  the  property  of  causing  a  pink 
color  in  some  alkaline  liquids,  but  does  not  change  the  color 
of  acid  solutions.  This  gives  a  means  of  measuring  the 
amount  of  acid  in  milk  or  cream  by  noting  the  quantity  of  an 
alkaline  liquid  of  known  strength  that  will  produce  this  pink 
color  in  a  measured  amount  of  cream.  The  strength  of  the 
alkaline  liquid  and  the  amount  of  cream  taken  for  each  test 
are  constant,  known  quantities,  always  the  same  in  compara- 
tive trials  of  different  lots  of  cream.  The  amount  of  acid  in 
the  measured  quantity  of  cream  is  unknown  until,  by  testing 
it,  it  is  observed  how  much  of  the  standard  alkaline  liquid  it 
17  (257) 


258  AMERICAN    DAIRYING. 

is  necessary  to  use  to  produce  the  pink  color.  A  one-tenth 
normal  solution  of  an  alkali  is  of  a  definite  strength  under- 
stood by  chemists.  The  alkali  may  be  caustic  soda,  potash, 
lime,  or  baryta.  All  these  are  efficient  and  results  will  be 
comparable  if  a  one-ten  th  normal  solution  of  any  one  of  them 
is  used. 

In  the  fall  of  1889  this  method  of  testing  the  acidity  of 
cream  was  used  by  Dr.  Manns  at  the  creamery  of  Gurler 
Bros.,  De  Kalb,  111.,  aad  also  in  churnings  of  cream  which 
he  made  at  this  station.  He  found  that  when  cream  was 
churned  at  a  temperature  of  58  to  62  deg.  Fah.  too  much  acid 
in  the  cream  injured  the  quality  of  the  butter,  and  too  sweet 
cream  churned  at  this  temperature  caused  a  loss  of  butter  in 
the  buttermilk.  The  butter  was  not  all  churned  out  unless 
the  cream  was  sufficiently  soured.  The  butter  was  of  poor 
quality  if  the  cream  was  too  sour.  These  trials  indicated 
that,  so  far  as  the  acidity  of  the  cream  had  an  influence  on 
the  flavor  of  the  butter  and  on  the  thoroughness  of  the 
churning  at  58  to  62  deg.,  the  best  results  were  obtained 
when  the  acidity  of  50  c.  c.  of  cream  was  neutralized  by  about 
40  c.  c.  of  one-tenth  normal  alkali.  This  work  was  published 
in  "Bulletin  No.  9"  of  this  station  May,  1890.  The  "percent 
of  acidity"  as  given  in  that  bulletin  can  be  converted  into  c. 
c.  of  one-tenth  normal  alkali  by  multiplying  the  "per  cent  of 
acidity"  by  5,000  and  dividing  by  87. 

In  following  up  this  line  of  work  the  writer  has  developed 
a  method  of 

Cream  testing  with  alk  aline  tablets.— A  'formula  has 
been  worked  out  by  which  a  definite  amount  of  solid  alkali  can 
be  made  into  a  tablet  containing  both  the  alkali  and  the  indi- 
cator necessary  for  testing  the  acidity  of  cream  or  milk. 

Each  tablet  contains  a  definite  amount  of  alkali  which 
will  neutralize  as  much  acid  as  4.66  c.  c.  of  a  one- tenth  nor- 
mal alkaline  liquid.  A  test  of  a  number  of  the  tablets  showed 
them  to  be  very  unifor  m  in  the  amount  of  alkali  contained  in 
each  tablet.  The  extreme  difference  amounted  to  three- 
tenths  of  one  c.  c.  of  the  one-tenth  normal  liquid.  One  thou- 
sand tablets  weigh  about  twelve  ounces.  Each  tablet  is 
about  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and  one-eighth 


AN   AGID   TEST   OF   CREAM.  259 

inch  thick,  and  they  can  be  used,  instead  of  the  one-tenth 
normal  alkaline  liquid  and  the  liquid  indicator  already  men- 
tioned. The  tablets  can  be  used  for  testing  the  acidity  of 
cream  in  the  following  way: 

Dissolving  the  tablets. — A  50  c.  c.  glass  cylinder,  grad- 
uated, and  on  a  foot,  is  found  to  be  a  convenient  piece  of  ap- 
paratus to  use  in  preparing  the  solution  of  the  tablets.  It  is 
made  of  stout  glass,  not  easily  broken,  and  can  be  obtained 
of  any  dealer  in  chemical  apparatus.  Put  five  tablets  into 
this  cylinder,  add  hot  or  cold  soft  water  until  the  cylinder  is 
filled  up  to  the  50  mark,  then  cork  the  cylinder  and  shake 
frequently  until  the  tablets  all  disappear  in  solution.  If  the 
solution  of  the  tablets  is  hastened  by  shaking  the  bottle  or 
stirring  the  liquid  it  should  be  done  in  such  a  way  as  to  pre- 
vent any  loss.  As  they  do  not  dissolve  immediately  they 
should  be  put  to  soak  about  one-half  hour  before  the  cream 
is  to  be  tested.  The  strength  of  the  solution  does  not  change 
perceptibly  by  standing  four  or  five  hours,  but  there  is  some 
change  in  a  tablet  solution  which  is  a  day  or  more  old.  The 
solid  tablet  will  not  change,  and  the  only  precaution  neces- 
sary is  to  use  a  fresh  solution  of  the  tablets  in  testing  the 
acidity  of  the  cream.  Excepting  the  flocculent  residue  or 
settlings,  which  will  not  dissolve  in  water,  the  tablets  should 
all  disappear  in  the  solution  before  it  is  added  to  the  cream 
to  be  tested.  When  the  solution  is  complete  the  cylinder 
contains  a  reddish-colored  liquid,  the  alkaline  strength  of 
which  is  indicated  by  the  number  of  tablets  which  were  put 
into  the  cylinder., 

Testing  the  cream. — The  cream  to  be  tested  should  be 
thoroughly  mixed.  Then  measure  25  c.  c.  of  the  cream  into 
a  glass  tumbler  or  a  cup.  If  the  cream  is  very  thick  25  c.  c. 
of  clean  rain  water  may  be  mixed  with  it  in  the  dish.  The 
sourness  of  the  cream  is  then  ascertained  by  adding  the  red- 
dish-colored solution  of  the  tablets  to  this  measured  quantity 
of  cream  until  it  retains  a  pinkish  color.  When  the  two 
liquids,  cream  and  tablet  solution,  are  thoroughly  mixed  the 
pink  color  does  not  remain  permanent  until  the  acid  of  the 
cream  is  completely  neutralized  by  the  alkali  of  the  tablets. 
An  excess  of  the  alkali  causes  the  color  to  increase.  The 


260  AMERICAN    DAIRYING, 

acidity  of  the  cream  is  measured  by  adding-  just  enough  of 
the  alkali  to  produce  a  permanent  change  of  color  from 
white  to  pink.  No  further  addition  of  the  alkali  is  necessary, 
as  the  first  change  of  color  indicates  the  point  when  the 
acid  is  all  neutralized.  A  piece  of  white  paper  placed  under 
the  tumbler  in  which  the  cream  is  tested  will  help  to  show 
the  change  of  color.  It  will  be  found  to  be  more  accurate  to 
adopt  as  the  end  of  the  test  the  point  when  the  first  change 
of  color  appears  and  the  cream  is  no  longer  white,  rather 
than  to  try  to  get  a  certain  shade  of  pink  color  every  time. 

The  amount  of  alkali  required  to  produce  this  change  of 
color  shows  the  sourness  of  the  cream  as  indicated  by  this 
test.  A  change  of  color  may  be  produced  in  25  c.  c.  of  sweet 
cream  by  a  solution  of  one  or  two  tablets.  As  the  sourness 
of  the  cream  increases  25  c.  c.  of  it  may  require  a  solution  of 
three,  four  or  five  tablets  to  change  the  color. 

The  indications  are  that  a  cream  which  requires  a  solution 
of  six  or  more  tablets  to  change  its  color  is  too  sour.  The 
butter  made  from  such  cream  will  be  off  flavor.  The  only 
general  direction  that  can  now  be  given  as  applicable  to 
nearly  all  cream  is  to  churn  it  when  25  c.  c.  of  the  thoroughly 
mixed  cream  is  not  colored  by  a  solution  of  four  tablets  but 
is  decidedly  colored  by  a  solution  of  five  tablets. 

Some  dairymen  may  prefer  to  churn  a  less  acid  cream  and 
adopt  the  sourness  of  cream  which  will  give  a  color  with  a 
solution  of  three  tablets. 

Comparative  trials  made  by  each  person  of  the  acidity  of 
the  cream  and  the  flavor  of  the  butter  made  from  it  will  be  a 
satisfactory  guide  to  follow. 

This  test  will  show  the  sourness  of  each  lot  of  cream  so 
that  a  uniformity  of  acidity  can  be  had  in  each  churning. 
How  much  acidity  each  lot  of  Cream  should  have,  or  whether 
cream  should  be  churned  sweet  or  sour,  may  be  a  matter  of 
opinion  with  the  butter-maker.  This  test  serves  as  an  aid 
to  show  him  when  the  cream  is  of  the  sweetness  or  sourness 
which  he  prefers.  It  will  also  show  when  the  cream  ought 
to  be  churned  in  order  to  prevent  i  t  from  spoiling  the  butter 
by  ripening  too  far  and  becoming  too  sour. for  the  best  re. 
suite. 


AN   ACID   TEST   OF   CREAM.  261 

The  complete  outfit,  including  1,000  tablets,  one  25  c.  c. 
pipette  and  one  50  c.  c.  measuring  cylinder,  costs  $3  de- 
livered. One  thousand  tablets  ought  to  make  250  tests  of 
cream. 


My  firm  have  used  the  alkaline  tablets  in  our 
De  Kalb  creamery  and  think  them  as  reliable 
and  more  convenient  to  use  than  the  Manns 
acid  test.  I  think  it  will  pay  all  butter-makers 
to  have  these  tablets  and  use  them  as  often  as 
is  necessary  to  keep  themselves  right.  They 
will  be  a  greater  help  to  a  person  that  has  had 
little  experience  than  to  one  that  has  had 
much.  They  will  help  to  educate  a  person's 
taste  to  the  right  acidity. 


INDEX. 


PART  L— PRIVATE  DAIRYING. 


Abortion,  49,  50. 
Age  to  breed,  23. 
Autumn,  why  cows  should  freshen  in, 

46. 
Average  cow,  the,  9. 

Babcock  tester,  the,  20. 
Babcock  test,  value  of  the,  14. 
Baker's,  Mr.  W.  D.,  ration  for  cows,  54. 
Barrel  dairy  churn  (illustration),  96. 
Barrels,  return  milk  in.  64. 
Bollert's,  Mr.  Herman,  ration  for  cows, 

56. 
Bourquin's,  Mr.  A.,  ration  for   dairy 

cows,  53. 

Box  churn,  square  (illustration),  97. 
Boynton's,  Mr.  W.  J.,  ration  for  cows, 

53. 

Bradley's  patent  pail  packages  (illus- 
tration), 111. 

Brand  for  butter,  have  a,  113. 
Breeding  cows,  Intelligent,  22. 
Breed  to  select,  what,  24. 
Busick's,  Mrs.  Kate  M.,  ration  for  dairy 

cows.  53. 
Butter  color,  99. 

average  yield  of,  par  cow,  9. 

from  silage,  35. 

from  the  test,  estimating,  16. 

have  a  brand  for,  113. 

individuality  of,  113. 

ladle,  Anderson's  (illustration),  106. 

loss  on  poor,  110. 

marketing  dairy,  110. 

once  working,  104. 

packages,  kind  of,  107. 

packer  (illustration),  106. 

profit  on  fine,  110. 

putting  up  for  market,  108. 

salting,  working  and  packing,  103. 

shipping  box  (illustration),  108. 

should  not  be  touched  by  hands. 
102. 

spades  (illustration),  106. 

twice  working,  105. 

washing  the,  100. 

Butter-worker,  the   Eureka    (illustra- 
tion), 104. 

the  Mason  (illustration),  105. 

lever,  (illustration),  107. 
Buttermilk,  value  of  as  food,  141. 

Vermont  Station  on  skim-milk  and, 

142. 
Buying  cows,  24,  26. 


Caldwell's,    Prof.   W.    H.,    views    on 

breeds,  25. 
Calves,  dehorning,  58. 

Dr.  Goessman  on  skim-milk  for,  137. 

Iowa  Station  on  skim-milk  for,  140. 

Mississippi   Station    on  skim-milk 
for,  140. 

Pennsylvania  Station  on  skim-milk 
for,  140. 

Prof.  Plumb  on  skim-milk  for,  138. 

remedy  for  scours  in,  135. 

rules  for  feeding,  135. 

should  be  kept  dry,  136. 

skim-milk  for,  133. 
Calving  time,  the,  44. 
Care  pays  well,  114. 
Centrifugal  separators,  88. 
Chaff,  wet,  for  weighting  the  silo,  39. 
Churn  and  worker,  washing  the,  63. 

barrel,  dairy  (illustration),  96. 

Davis  swing  (illustration),  101. 

rectangular  (illustration),  99. 

room,  temperature  of,  99. 

square  box  (illustration),  97. 

straining  cream  into  the,  98. 

test  for  cows,  12. 
Churning  at  low  temperature,  101. 

different  temperatures  for,  96. 
Cleanliness  in  milking,  66. 
Clover,  when  to  cut,  31. 
Commission  houses,  112. 
Confine  the  cows,  how  to,  49. 
Cooke,  Prof.,  on  feeding  pigs,  120. 
Cooley  creamer,  the  (illustration),  85. 
Cooling,  repeated,  recommended,  83. 
Corn  and  skim-milk  compared,  122. 

cost  of  growth  of  pigs  with,  117. 

for  silage,  when  to  cut,  33. 

planting  for  silage,  35. 
Cottrell's,  Mr.  M.  H.,  ration  for  cows, 

54. 

Cow  beef,  cost  of,  27. 
Cows,  a  New  York  experiment  In  feed- 
ing, 45. 

breeding, 22. 

buying,  24. 

churn  test  for,  12. 

comparative  profitableness  of,  19. 

cost  of  feeding,  10,  27. 

cream  test  for,  12. 

disposing  of  unprofitable,  27. 

Dr.  Pierson  on  feeding,  45. 

drying  off,  24. 

how  to  confine  the,  49. 


264 


INDEX. 


Cows,  language  of  the,  32. 
need  special  care,  69. 
one  better  than  two,  21. 
purchasing  by  Illinois  Experiment 

rations  for  dairy,  52. 

standard  for,  22. 

test  before1  buying,  26. 

testing  the,  15. 

the  average.  9. 

tying,  49. 

warm  the  water  for,  39. 

watering  in  the  stable.  40. 
Cream  and  fat,  percentages  of,  13. 

deep  cold-setting,  95. 

effect  of  heating  and  cooling  on,  83. 

holding,  94. 

ripening  and  churning,  94. 

separator,  95. 

straining  into  the  churn,  98. 

test  for  cows,  12. 

test  unreliable,  13. 
Creamery  building,  farm  (illustration), 

Creaming  promoted  by  repeated  cool- 
ing, 83. 

Dairy  butter,  marketing,  110. 
farm,  profits  from,  115. 
herd,  the,  9. 
utensils,  care  of,  62. 

Deep-setting  can  (illustration),  84. 

Dehorning,  57. 

Delaware  Station  on  separators,  88. 

Difference  in  milkers,  69. 

Disturbances,  effect  of,  68. 

Dog  power,  churning  with    (illustra- 
tion), 100. 

Doncourt's,  Mr.  A.,  ration  for  cows, 
55. 

Drew's,  Mr.  L.  S.,  ration  for  cows,  55. 

Drying  off  cows,  24. 

Ergot,  abortion  from,  50. 

Estimating  butter  from  test,  16. 

Eureka    butter-worker,   the    (illustra- 
tion), 104. 

Exposure,  effects  of.  58. 

Farm  creamery  building  (Illustration), 

Farm  skim-milk,  92. 

Farmer's  work,  average  In  feeding  pigs, 

120. 

Fat  and  cream,  percentages  of,  13. 
Feed  and  management,  30. 
Feeding  calves,  rules  for,  135. 
Feeding  cows,  a  New  York  experiment 
in,  45. 

cost  of,  10. 

Dr.  Pierson  on,  45. 

individual  cows,  cost  of,  27. 

Kansas  experimental  work  in,  46. 

old  and  young  animals,  125. 
Feeding  problem,  a,  36. 
Fisher's,  Mr.  L.  C.,  ration  for  cows,  55. 
Flannel  strainers,  81. 
Foundation  herd  of  cows,  9. 
Gabrilson's,  Mr.  C.  L.,  ration  for  dairy 

cows,  53. 
Goodrich's,  Mr.  C.  P.,  ration  for  cows. 

55. 
Gould's,  Mr.  John,  ration  for  cows,  55. 


GOBS',  Mr.  J.  W.,  ration  for  dairy  cows, 

53. 
Hands  should  be  kept  out  of  butter, 

102. 

Hay,  when  to  make.  31. 
Heating  and    cooling,   effect    of    on 

cream,  83. 
Henry's,  Mr.  E,  S.,  ration   for  dairy 

cows,  53. 

Henry,  Prof.,  on  feeding  pigs,  124. 
Herd,  how  to  improve  the,  10. 
Holding  cream,  94. 
How  to  milk,  73. 
Hyatt's,  Mr.  A.  X.,  ration  for  cows, 

55. 

Illinois  Station  on  feeding  pigs,  119. 
Improving  the  herd,  10. 
Indiana  Experiment  Station  on  effects 

of  exposure,  58. 
Individuality,  butter  has,  114. 
Kicking,  cause  for,  67. 
Ladle,  handling  with  the,  102. 
Lever  butter-worker  (illustration),  107. 
McClintock's,   Mr.    John,    ration    for 

cows,  55. 
Maine  experiment  work  in  skimming, 

88. 

Management  and  feed,  30. 
Market,  putting  up  butter  for,  108. 
Marketing  dairy  butter,  110. 
Mason    butter-worker,    the    (illustra- 
tion), 105. 

Milk,  average  of  per  cow,  20. 
from  cow  to  cream  vat,  81. 
how  to,  73. 
morning's  and  night's,  compared. 

78. 

pail,  tin  (illustration),  81,  82. 
quality  of.  first  and  last  compared, 

76. 

return,  in  barrels.  64. 
room,  temperature  of,  83. 
skimming  from  Cooley  cans  (Illus- 
tration). 86. 
test,  seeking  a,  49. 
variation  in,  from  day  to  day,  77. 
when  should  be  skimmed,  84. 
Milkers,  difference  in,  69. 
Milking,  65. 

fast  and  slow,  compared,  75, 

for  prizes,  71. 

habit,  establish  the,  23. 

one  teat  at  a  time,  75. 

tests,  frequency  of,  76. 

Wisconsin  Experiment  Station  on, 

74. 

Minnesota  experiment  work  In  skim- 
ming, 88. 

Mississippi  Station  on  milk,  79. 
Morning's  and  night's  milk  compared, 

78. 

New  York  experiment  work  in  skim- 
ming. 88. 

Nutrients  in  twenty-four  rations,  56. 
Oats,  can  we  afford  to  feed,  43. 
Once  working,  104. 
Packages,  butter,  107. 

Bradley's  patent  pall  (illustration), 

111. 
glass  butter  (illustration),  112. 


INDEX. 


265 


Packing,  salting,  and  working  butter, 

103. 

Pierson.  Dr.,  on  cow-feeding,  45. 
Pigs,  results  from  feeding,  117. 
Plumb,  Prof.  C.  S.,  on  effects  of  ex- 
posure, 60. 

Pork,  cost  of,  from  corn,  117. 
Prizes,  milking  for,  71. 
Profits  from  dairy  farm,  115. 
Quality  of  first  and   last   milk   com- 
pared, 76. 
Rations  for  dairy  cows,  52. 

table  of  nutrients  in  twenty-four, 

56. 

Regularity  in  milking,  66. 
Rejected  tood,  44. 
Return  milk  in  barrels,  64. 
Ripening  and  churning,  94. 
Robertson's,  Mr.  R.,  ration  for  cows, 

56. 
Salting,  working,  and  packing  butter, 

103. 

Samples,  care  of  the,  16. 
Scientists,  credit  to  the,  50. 
Scours  in  calves,  remedy  for,  135. 
Separator  cream,  95. 

the   "Baby."    De   Laval   (illustra- 
tion), 90. 

the  "Baby,"  power  (illustration), 
89. 

centrifugal,  88. 

milk  good,  141. 
Shipping-box  for  butter  (illustration), 

108. 
Silage,  amount  of,  to  feed,  43. 

butter,  36. 

planting  corn  for,  35. 

suiface,  exposure  of,  34. 

when  to  cut  corn  for,  34. 
Silo,  filling  the,  38. 

how  fast  to  fill,  38. 

weighting,  39. 
Sisson's,  Mr.  Geo.  W.,  ration  for  cows, 

54. 

Skimmer,  the  cone  (illustration),  87. 
Skimming,  care  in.  87. 

experimental  work  in,  87. 

from  theCooley  cans  (illustration), 
86. 

milk,  84. 
Skim-milk,  116. 

age,  effect  of  in  feeding.  128. 

and  buttermilk  compared,  143. 

and  corn  compared,  122. 

farm,  92. 


Sklm-mi?k   feeding  before  and  after 
weaning,  125. 

for  calves,  133. 

for  old  and  young  animals.  125. 

Goodrich's,  Mr.  C.  P.,  experience 
with  feeding,  132. 

Gov.  Hoard's  experience  with  feed- 
ing, 131. 

Massachusetts  Station  on,  131, 144. 

New  Hampshire  experimental  work 
in  feeding,  127. 

value  of,  11, 116. 

Whitcher's,  Prof.,  conclusions  on 
value  of,  130. 

with    grain,  table   showing  value 

of,  129. 

Smiths  &  Powell's  ration  for  cows,  54. 
Sow  with  pigs,  feeding.  121. 
Special  care  for  cows,  69. 
Spoon  ladle,  the  (illustration),  106. 
Stables,  importance  of  warm,  48. 
Strainers,  81. 
Submerged  plan,  the,  85. 
Suggestions  about  feeding,  133. 
Temperature,  churning  at  low,  101. 

for  churning,  different,  96. 

of  churn  room,  99. 

of  milk  room,  83. 
Testing,  how  done,  16. 

the  cows,  15, 17. 
Tin  milk  pail  (illustration),  81. 
Tuberculosis,  about,  41. 
Tubes,  milking  with,  76. 
Utensils,  care  of  dairy,  62. 
Variation  In  milk  from  same  cow,  77 
Virginia  Station  on  feeding  pigs,  119. 
Warming  water  for  cows,  39. 
Warm  stables,  importance  of,  48. 
Washing  the  butter,  100. 
Watering  cows,  39. 
Wilcox's,  Mr.  Munzo,  ration  for  cows, 

54. 
Winslow's,  Mr.  C.  M.,  ration  for  cows, 

55. 

Wire  cloth  strainer,    Curtis'  (illustra- 
tion), 82. 

Wisconsin  Experiment    Station's   ra- 
tions for  dairy  cows,  52. 

work  in  skimming,  88. 

on  feeding  pigs,  118, 123. 
Wooden  scoop  for  handling  butter.  102. 
Wooden  utensils,  preparing,  63. 
Worker  and  churn,  washing  the,  63. 
Working,  salting  and  packing  butter, 


PART  IL— CREAMERY  MANAGEMENT. 


Absorbing  bad  odors,  156. 

Acidity,  look  out  for,  194. 

Acid  test  of  cream,  an,  257. 

Aerating  milk,  147. 

Agitating  milk  when  cooling  148. 

Alkaline  tablets,  testing  with,  259. 

Alpha  tempering  vat  (Illustration),  171, 

172, 173. 

Babcock  test,  the.  246. 
at  World's  Fair,  166. 


Babcook  test  as  a  basis  of  payment  for 

cream,  247. 

applies  to  all  milk,  160. 
difficulties  in  the,  how  to  overcome, 

163. 

difficulties,  reasons  for,  163. 
difficulty  from  "black  stuff,"  162. 
gives  satisfactory  results,  160. 
not  automatic,  160. 
points  to  be  watched,  162. 


266 


INDEX. 


Babcock  test.  Russian,  246, 247. 

tested  and  proved,  166. 

to  be  looked  after,  174. 
Bad  milk  to  be  returned.  149. 
Hair's  cream  cooler  (illustration),  176. 
Belts  to  be  looked  after,  225. 
Bloody  milk,  effect  of,  153. 
Boiler,  the,  222. 

and  engine,  capacity  of,  234. 
Brushes  used  in  cleaning,  221. 
Buildings  and  utensils,  care  of,  217. 
Butter  accumulator  (illustration),  181. 
Butter  at  World's  Fair,  judging,  190. 

care  in  packing,  211. 

coloring  with  the  ealt,  198. 

Injured  by  cheese,  205. 

keeping  quality  of  unwashed,  190. 

marketing,  212. 

mottled,  cause  of,  182. 

neat  packages  for,  211. 

packages,  care  of,  210. 

removing  curd  from,  200. 

salting,  working  and  marketing,  204. 

tubs,  210. 

washing,  195. 

worker,  cleaning  the,  220. 

worker,  Vermont  power  (illustra- 
tion), 207. 

Buttermilk,  test  of,  for  fat,  199. 
Calves,  skim-milk  for,  215. 
Cans  and  tanks  for  gathering  cream, 

242. 

Cedar-box  creamery   churn    (illustra- 
tion), 197. 
Channel  vat,  170. 
Cheese,  butter  injured  by,  205. 
Churns,,  198. 

care  of,  217,  219. 

cedar  box,  creamery  (illustration), 
197. 

cooling  the,  184. 

Curtis'  improved  factory  (illustra- 
tion), 196. 

Davis'  swing  (illustration),  191. 

Disbrow's  combined  (illustration), 
192, 193. 

room,  temperature  of,  188. 

salting,  206. 

temperature  of  the,  186. 
Churning  at  low  temperature,  187. 

same  day  gathered,  243. 

temperature  during,  198. 
Color  added  to  the  salt,  198. 

have  a  standard  of,  202. 
Combined  churn  and  worker,  Disbrow's 

(illustration),  192, 193. 
Composite  plan  of  testing,  157. 

samples,  taking,  156. 
Conveying  milk  to  creamery,  150. 
Cooler,  Gurler's  circulating   (illustra- 
tion), 185. 

Cooling  cream  quickly,  176. 
Cooling  milk,  147. 
Cooling  mi-Ik  quickly,  171. 
Covers  for  milk  wagons,  150. 
Cream  cooler,  Danish  Weston  (illustra- 
tion), 175. 
Cream,  cooling,  quickly,  176. 

gauge,  the,  239. 

how  to  remove  from  bowl,  177. 


Cream,  look  out  for  the,  194. 

Pasteurized,  202. 

per  cent  of  fat  in,  200. 

rich,  requires  low  temperature,  187. 

ripening  and  churning,  182. 

strainer  (Illustration),  200. 

temperature  at  which  to  hold,  184. 

temperature  to  ripen,  183. 
Creamery,  cost  of,  231. 

employe's,  a  talk  with,  249. 

location  of  the,  226. 

plan  for  a,  228,  229. 

suggestions  about  building  a,  226. 
Curd  from  butter,  removing,  200. 
Curtis'  improved  factory  churn  (illus- 
tration), 196. 
Dairy  school  work,  178. 
Danish  Weston  cream  cooler  (illustra 

tion),  175. 

Davis'  swing  churn  (illustration),  191. 
Decision  needed,  155. 
Detecting  bad  odors,  156. 
Disbrow's  combined  churn  and  worker 

(illustration),  192, 193. 
Drainage,  Importance  of,  230. 
Drain,  the  creamery,  220. 
Driver's  case  (Illustration),  241. 

measuring  pail  (illustration).  240. 
Employe's,  a  talk  with  creamery,  249. 
Engine,  care  of  the,  224. 
European  example,  203. 
Expert  at  the  weigh  can,  155. 
Farrington's,Dr.,  bulletin  on  "An  Acid 

Test  of  Cream,"  257. 
Fat,  average  of  in  skim-milk,  180. 

per  cent  of  in  buttermilk.  200. 

per  cent  of  in  cream,  200. 
Flavor,  effect  of  washing  on,  190. 
Floating  glass  thermometer  (illustra- 
tion), 201. 

Floor  of  creamery,  227. 
Gas  engine,  the  Charter  (illustration). 

232. 

Gathered-cream  and  whole  milk  butter 
compared,  243. 

and  whole  milk,  comparative  value 
of,  239. 

work,  238. 

Gurler's  circulating    cooler    (illustra- 
tion), 185. 

Heat,  danger  from  too  much,  158. 
Heating,  effect  of  on  separating,  170. 
Heating  milk  suddenly,  169. 
Horizontal  engine  (illustration),  233. 
Ice,  the  use  of,  243. 
Iowa  can,  the  (illustration),  148. 
Jacketed  cream-carrier,  Haney's  (illus- 
tration), 243. 

Key  City  King  (illustration),  187. 
Low  temperature,  advantages  of,  18ii, 

197. 
Marketing,  salting  and  working,  204. 

butter,  212. 
Milk  absorbing  odors,  151. 

aerating,  147. 

agitating  when  cooling,  148. 

bad,  should  be  returned,  149. 

care  of,  by  patrons,  147. 

conveying  to  creamery,  150. 

cooling,  147. 


INDEX. 


267 


Milk,  effect  of  bloody,  153. 

off  flavor  when  received,  195. 

quick  cooling  of,  171. 

receiving  at  the  creamery,  154. 

should  not  be  mixed,  149. 

spoiled  by  bad  surroundings,  151. 

sudden  heating,  169. 

tempering  and  separating,  169. 
"Milk  thief :  (illustration).  157. 
Milk  wagons,  covers  for,  150. 
Mixed,  milk  should  not  be,  149. 
Mop  heads  (illustration),  223. 
Mottled  butter,  cause  of,  182. 
Mutual  interests  of   patrons  and  pro- 
prietors, 216. 

Neat  packages  for  butter,  211. 
Neglect  of  boilers,  results  of,  224. 
Odors  absorbed  by  milk,  151. 

salt  absorbs,  204. 

Oil-test  churn,  Curtis'  patent  (illustra- 
tion), 245. 

Packages,  care  of,  210. 
Packing,  care  in,  2H. 
Pasteurized  cream,  202. 
Patrons  and   proprietors    considered, 
216. 

tact  required  in  dealing  with,  154. 
Pennsylvania  Dairy  School's  tests,  199. 
Perforated  tin  cream  strainer  (illustra- 
tion), 200. 

Pioneer  work,  gathering  cream  is.  241. 
Plan,  criticisms  of,  230. 

for  a  creamery,  228,  229. 
Power  required,  tests  of,  179. 
Preserving  samples,  158. 
Quick  cooling  of  milk,  171. 
Receiving  milk  at  the  creamery,  154 
Refrigerator  for  tank,  Curtis'  pat 

(Illustration),  242. 
Ripening  and  churning  cream,  182. 
Ripening  cream,  use  of  a  "starter"  in, 

183. 

Rotary  force  pump,  improved  (illustra- 
tion), 235. 

Russian  separator,  Sharpies  (illustra- 
tion), 174. 
Safety  valve  to  be  looked  after  daily, 

224. 
Salt  absorbs  odors,  204. 

estimating  for,  207. 

how  much,  206. 

sift  the,  206. 
Salting  churn,  206. 

Salting,  working  and  marketing,  204. 
Samples,  preserving,  158. 

taking  composite,  156. 
Sample  tube,  Scovell's  (illustration), 

157. 

Scalding  skim-milk,  215. 
School  work,  dairy,  178. 
Scientists,  Babcock  test  satisfactory 

to,  160. 
Scovell's    sample  tube    (illustration), 

Separator,  capacity  of,  177. 
care  of  the,  171. 


patent 


Separators,  difference  in,  178. 
Sharpies  Russian  separator  (illustra- 
tion), 174. 
Skim-milk  at  creamery,  care  of,  214. 

average  of  fat  in, 180. 

clean  vats  for,  214. 

for  calves,  215. 

scalding,  215. 

sweet  and  sour,  214. 

Vermont  experiment  with,  214. 
Skimming,  clean  vs.  close,  174. 
Skim  stations,  235. 
Spring  wagons  necessary,  150. 
Standard  of  color,  have  a,  202. 
Star  cooler  and  aerator  (illustration), 

147. 

"Starter,"  a,  in  ripening  cream,  183. 
Station  work,  value  of,  180. 
Strainer,  cream  vat  (illustration).  239. 

dipper  (Illustration),  189. 

perforated  tin  cream  (illustration), 

200. 

Smoke-stack,  construction  of  the,  234. 
Submerged  can,  244. 
Suggestions  to  those  building  cream- 
eries, 226. 
Surplus    and    shortage    of    gathered 

cream,  238. 

Temperature,  advantages  of  low,  189, 
197. 

at  which  to  hold  cream,  184. 

churning  at  low,  187. 

during  churning,  198. 

of  the  churn,  186. 

of  the  churn  room,  188. 

to  ripen  cream,  183. 
Tempering  and  separating,  169. 
Testing  milk,  composite  plan  of,  157. 
Test  plan  for  gathered  cream,  241. 
Tests  at  World's  Fair,  figures  from  the, 

167. 

Tests  of  power  required,  179. 
Thermometer,  floating  glass  (illustra- 
tion), 201. 

have  a  tested,  201. 
Tinware,  care  of  the.  217. 
Trap  for  the  sewer,  228. 
Unnecessary  losses,  150. 
Unwashed  butter,  keeping  quality  of, 

190. 
Vat  for  cans,  148. 

the  cream,  227. 

leaky,  222. 

tempering,  231. 
Wallace's,  Mr.  Henry  C.,  experiments, 

180. 
Washing  butter,  195. 

effect  of  on  flavor,  190. 
Wash  sink,  218. 
Water  heater,  Barber's  pipe,  noiseless, 

219. 
Weigh  can  (illustration),  155 

the  man  at  the,  158. 
Working,  how  much?  209. 

once  or  twice,  208. 
Working,  salting  and  marketing,  204. 


Dairy,  Creamery 


and 


Cheese  Factory 


Apparatus 


and 


Supplies 


Of  every  description.  We  carry  in  stock  everything  pertaining  to  the  trade  and 
can  supply  your  wants  promptly,  from  the  smallest  dairy  to  the  largest  and 
most  extensive  factory.  We  have  all  makes,  styles  and  sizes  of  separators, 
both  hand  and  power;  boilers  and  engines,  all  sizes;  gas  and  gasoline  engines; 
shafting,  hangers,  pulleys  and  belting;  vats,  churns,  butter-workers  and  molds. 


Glassware  and  tinware  at  specially  close  prices.  We  are  the  largest  manu 
facturers  of  butter  and  cheese  packages  in  the  world  and  in  buying  from  us  you 
get  them  at  first  hands  and  save  subsequent  profits.  We  make  a  specialty  of 
mall-order  business  and  guarantee  you  prompt  shipments  and  careful  service. 
Should  be  pleased  to  mail  you  our  large,  free,  illustrated  catalogue.  Address 

CREAMERY  PACKAGE  MFG,  CO,, 

1,  3  and  5  W,  Washington  Street,  Chicago,  III, 


The 


Sharpies  Russian  Separator 

THE   BOWL  ALONE   REVOLVES. 


6    "  fi 

6       p  cd 

•JTJ       G  o 

«  3  , 

en  CuO 


1 1 1 1 

rt  *'      3 

rt      8*  "8      ^ 

2    «  2 

&>    o  rS 


These  machines  have  come  into  general  i\se  in  the  great  Elgin 
district,  and  are  deservedly  the  most  popular  on  the  market.  The 
bowl  is  very  simple,  and  the  machine  easy  to  operate.  Send  for 
circulars. 

THE  RUSSIAN  BABCOCK  TEST 

IS   THE 

Only  First=Class  Test  on  the  Market. 

IT  IS  NOT  CHEAP,  BUT  GOOD. 

SHMRPL-ES, 

OHESTER, 


P. 

EL-GIN,  H-L-. 


THE    DE    LAVAL 

"ALPHA" 

CREAM  SEPARATORS. 

These  separators  are  used  by  all  the  older,  larger  and  more  careful  users  of 
cream  separators  throughout  the  world.  They  excel  other  makes  of  such  ma- 
chines in  essentially  the  same  degree  as  do  such  other  machines  the  older  grav- 
ity systems.  They  do  all  that  any  other  machine  can  do,  and  enough  more  to 
practically  save  their  cost  each  year  of  use. 


NEW  "ALPHA1'  BOWL,. 

The  De  Laval  separators  were  selected  and  used  exclusively  in  the  practical 
working  dairy  of  the  late  World's  Fair.  They  received  the  only  regularly 
granted  award  in  the  Exhibition  Department.  Their  sales  now  exceed  60,000 
machines— or  more  than  ten  times  all  other  makes  combined.  They  are  sold 
subject  to  the  guarantee  of  their  unqualified  superiority. 

THE  DE  LAVAL  SEPARATOR  GO,, 

General  Offices!  74  Oortlandt  St.,  N.  Y. 

Branch  Offices  and  Shops:     Elgin,  111.;  Montreal,  Can. 


High-Grade 

DAIRY  GOODS 


Curtis  Channel  Bottom  Vats. 
Curtis  Improved  Factory  Churns. 
Curtis  Trunk  Churns. 
Rectangular  Churns. 
Curtis  Babcock  Milk  Testers. 
Lever  Butter  Workers. 
National  Butter  Workers. 
Mason  Butter  Workers. 


IN  FACT 


WE  SELL  EVERYTHING 

FOR  THE 

Dairy,  Creamery  and  Cheese  Factory, 

SEND    FOR  FREE   CATALOOUES. 

CORNISH,  CURTIS  &  GREENE  MANF'G  CO,, 

Fort  Atkinson,  Wis. 


Branch  House, 

St.  Paul,  Minn. 


SUPERIOR 

Dairy  and  Creamery  ^ 

GOODS.         | 

Pl/PP  VTllIM^      PERTAINING    TO    THE 
LVLlY/    IninU    MANUFACTURE    OF  > 

BUTTER  AND  CHEESE.    °| 

<-f 
Separators,  Engines  and  Boilers,  Butter  Workers, 

Cream,  Milk  and  Water  Vats,  BABCOCK  *^* 

Milk  Testers,  Cabinet  Creameries,  X 

Churns,  Butter  Printers 

and  Carriers.  ^^ 

—  ALL    STYLES    OK- 

BUTTER  PACKAGES  AND  SUPPLIES. 


OUR  GOODS  ARE  OF  THE 

Latest  Up=to=Date  Pattern, 

AND  FOR 

QUALITY  OP  MATERIAL  AND  WORKMANSHIP    PS 

ARE  WITHOUT  AN  EQUAL, 

As  the  largest  and  finest  Creameries  in  the  United  States  r^ 

and  Canada  will  bear  witness.  O 

Send  for  free  Catalogue.  *-. 


MOSELEY  &  STODDARD  MFG.  GO, 

RUTLAND,  VT. 


THE  DAIRYMAN'S  COMPASS 

to  guide  him  on  his  "milky  way" 
—  is  THE  — 

V.  F.  M.  BABCOCK  TESTER. 

Buy  one  and  know 

"where  you  are  at." 

We  have  written  a  book  which  tells  all  about  it  and  how  to  use  it. 

WE  FURNISH  APPARATUS  WHOSE  WORK  WILL 
STAND  TESTING 

viz.: 

CENTRIFUGAL 

SEPARATORS, 

Which  will  take  out  ALL  the 
cream  from  A  our  milk 

"WHILE   YOU  WAIT." 

Simple, 
Well  made, 

Thorough  in  their  work. 
.  .OR.  . 

COOLEY  CREAMERS, 

The  best  gravity  creaming  apparatus 
in  the  world.  Proven  by  tests  of  care- 
ful government  experimenters.  Proven 
in  the  every-day  use  of  thousands  of 
dairymen. 

Procure  and  read  our  circulars. 

WE  FURNISH  EVERYTHING  for  the  dairy, 
creamery,  or  sugar  bush,  and  shall  be 
glad  to  send  you  circulars  of  anything 
you  may  wish. 


VERMONT  FARM  MACHINE  CO. 

BELLOWS  FALLS,  VT. 


A.  H.  BARBER, 
PRODUCE  COMMISSION  MERCHANT, 

SPECIALTIES: 

Butter,  Cheese  and  Eggs, 

MANUFACTURERS.  AND  DEALERS 

IN 

Creamery  Apparatus  and  Supplies, 

WESTERN  AGENTS 


—  FOR  — 


ALPHA 

Separators 

—  AND  — 

WELLS,  RICHARDSON   &   CO.'S 

BUTTER  AND  CHEESE  COLOR. 

ALSO 

Barber's  Ice  or  Refrigerating  Machine, 

DESIGNED  FOR 

Creameries,  Butter  Booms,  Meat  Markets, 
Cold  Storage,  Etc. 

229  SOUTH  WATER  ST.,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


FIRST  COST 

cuts  so  important  a 
figure  with  many 
people  that  they 

LOSE 

MONEY 

by  getting  the  poorest, 
because  the  lowest 
priced  goods.    The 
article  that 

SAVES  YOU  MONEY 

in  the  long  run  is  what 
you  want  to  get. 


Ashton's  and  Higgin's  Eureka  Salts 


are  the  cheapest  Salts  to 
buy  because  they  are 

PURER,  STRONGER 

. . and  .  . 

60  FURTHER 

than  any  other  Dairy 
Salts  on  the  market. 

For  Seventy-Five  Years  the 

Leading  Brands  of 
Dairy  Salts  in  the  World, 

Sold  by  leading  grocers 
everywhere.  .  . 

FRANCIS  D.  MOULTON  &  Co., 

GENERAL  AGENTS, 
89  Broadway,   -    -   NEW  YORK. 


EUREKA! 
FINE  SA| 

IMPURE  LINEN  SACKS 


DAIRYSJABLEUS 

CHESHIRE, 

ENGLAND. 


STANDARD  BOOKS 

FOR  STOCK-OWNERS. 


Tl  A  PAT  RTTTT  TYTNT4  EDITBD  by 

JL>xi_£ll\  ~-D  U  IJuJJllM  IT.  of  plans  of  general  farm  barns,  cattle  barns, 
horse-barns,  swine-pens,  sheep-folds,  etc.,  from  drawings  of  buildings  actually 
built  and  in  use  by  successful  farmers  and  stockmen,  from  which  many  useful 
and  practical  hints  may  be  drawn.  New  edition;  235  pages;  cioth.  Price.  $1.50. 


BEEEDS  OF  LIVE  STOCK.  SS 

proved  farm  animals  described  and  illustrated  by  elegant  wood  engravicgs  by 
the  best  artists.    475  large  pages:  cloth.    Only  $2  by  express,  prepaid. 


r<  A  THnpT  I?  TJT?l^F<rH\Tr<    BY  WILLIAM  WARFIELD  of  Gras- 

lvA.±  1  Jjrj-DJXl^JLJJliMjr.  mere  Farm,  Lexington,  Ky.— acknowl- 
edged by  the  highest  authorities  of  America  and  Europe  to  be  the  most  thor- 
ough setting  forth  of  the  THEORY  AND  PRACTICE  OF  STOCK-BREEDING 
ever  written.  390  pages;  cloth.  Price  by  mail,  post-paid,  $2. 


BY  J.  H.  SANDERS,  founder  of  THE. 

BREEDER'S  GAZETTE,  for  years  editor  of 
the  old  National  Line-Slock  Journal,  ex-associate  editor  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Times, 
ex-editor  of  the  Percheron  and  fl»  eeders'  Trotting  Stud  Books,  etc.  This  is  by  all 
odds  the  most  successful  book  on  this  subject  ever  issued.  It  has  passed 
through  ten  editions  and  was  translated  into  the  German  by  H.  von  Nathusius, 
the  great  European  authority  on  scientific  breeding.  All  about  the  breeds  and 
management  of  stallions,  brood  mares  and  foals.  Treatment  of  diseases  inci- 
dent to  parturition,  how  to  tell  age  by  the  teeth,  etc.  42*  pages:  cloth.  Last 
edition,  revised,  enlarged,  illustrated.  By  mail,  post-paid,  $1.50. 


The  King  of  All  Farm  Papers 

THE  BREEDER'S  GAZETTE. 

AN  illustrated  weekly,  covering  the  whole  field  of  stock-breeding,  feeding, 
dairying,  etc.;  numbering  among  its  contributors  such  authorities  as  Prof. 
W.  A.  Henry,  Director  of  the  Wisconsin  Agricultural  Experiment  Station; 
H.  B.  Gurier,  C.  P.  Goodrich,  A.  X.  Hyatt,  et  al.    Write  for  free  speci- 
men copy. 

All  of  the  above  published  by  the 

J.  H.  SANDERS  PUBLISHING  CO., 

CH1CA.OO,    ILL. 


IVERS1TY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


HIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


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